In a landmark decision, the US Supreme Court has paved the way for the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, to India. This development marks a significant step in prosecuting individuals connected to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that claimed 166 lives.

Rana, 63, currently held in Los Angeles, has been fighting extradition through various legal avenues since his arrest in 2009. His petition for a "writ of certiorari," filed on November 13, 2023, was denied by the Supreme Court, effectively ending his appeals. The decision follows rejections by multiple lower courts, including the US Court of Appeals.

A former Pakistan Army doctor and naturalized Canadian citizen, Rana is accused of aiding David Headley, a key conspirator in the Mumbai attacks. Headley, who conducted reconnaissance on Mumbai targets, posed as an employee of Rana's Chicago-based immigration consultancy, First World Immigration Services. Headley's surveillance enabled the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to execute the attacks, which targeted iconic locations like the Taj Mahal Hotel and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

Rana was previously convicted in the US in 2011 for supporting the LeT and conspiring to attack a Danish newspaper but was cleared of direct involvement in the Mumbai attacks. In 2011, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed charges against him, labeling him an absconder.

India has been coordinating with US authorities to expedite Rana's extradition, holding high-level discussions to ensure his transfer and detention arrangements. With this ruling, India is set to bring him to trial, bolstering efforts to deliver justice for the victims of the 26/11 attacks.