The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is hopeful that Canadian-Pakistani Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 62, one of the key conspirators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, may be extradited to India to face trial.
The decision on the NIA’s request is expected by May 20. A total of 166 people, including nationals from the US, Israel and other countries, were killed in the attacks.
The NIA has, via the US Department of Justice, submitted all evidence against Rana to a US court, but there was no movement in the case since 2021.
“The court has now said that in the next 30 days, a decision on the extradition request will be pronounced. This way or that, we should know by May 20,” an NIA official said.
The extradition case, being heard in the U.S. District Court in the Central District of Los Angeles, California, had seen the last hearing in June 2021.
There was no proceeding in the matter after July 2021.
PLEA BARGAIN REQUEST REJECTED
The matter gathered speed after Rana’s plea bargaining request was rejected by the US court.
News agency PTI reported that the court dismissed a ‘status conference motion’ moved by Rana last week on the grounds that it “anticipates a ruling on the Pakistani-origin Canadian’s extradition to India within 30 days”.
Rana had sought to enter into a plea bargain with the US last month on the grounds of delay in the extradition case. His plea for status conference — a court-ordered meeting between the prosecution and defence to discuss the case details and a plea bargain — was rejected by the US court.
‘A FRIEND OF HEADLEY’
The NIA, through federal prosecution, has argued that Rana was a childhood friend of David Coleman Headley and involved in Lashkar-e-Taiba’s 26/11 terror planning, reccee and conspiracy.
Rana, as per the NIA, allowed Headley to use his immigration office as a cover, during his reccee of Mumbai before the attacks. He was aware of some of the targets of the attack including the Taj Hotel. 31 people died in Taj during the 3 day seige.
Supporting India’s case of Rana’s extradition to India, the US government said that Rana was part of the conspiracy and there is probable cause that he committed the substantive crime of commissioning a terrorist act.
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