The Pakistan Mission in the United States has written to its Consulate in Los Angeles, urging close monitoring of the extradition case of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana. News18 has obtained exclusive communication revealing Pakistan’s apprehension in the case of the Chicago businessman wanted in India for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
The move suggests Pakistan’s worry that Rana’s extradition could expose the modus operandi of the 26/11 terror attacks, potentially implicating the government and army. The Pakistan Embassy in Washington notified the Los Angeles Consulate that the Habeas Corpus appeal by Rana’s legal team, challenging his extradition to India, was rejected.
The Consulate, overseeing Rana’s incarceration, is directed to regularly update the Embassy on Rana’s situation. Rana, a former Pakistani Army doctor, turned LeT terrorist, has been detained in Los Angeles for over a year.
Last month, the Biden administration had urged a California court to reject the habeas corpus petition filed by Rana, advocating his extradition to India for his alleged involvement in the Mumbai attacks. India sought Rana’s provisional arrest in June 2020. Rana, currently detained in Los Angeles, faces extradition following a US court’s approval in May.
E Martin Estrada, the US attorney for the Central District of California, emphasised that Rana’s petition lacks evidence to counter India’s extradition request. Rana’s attorney cited concerns over violating the US-India extradition treaty due to his previous acquittal. The attorney also argued that India’s evidence fails to establish probable cause for the charges.
The US attorney countered Rana’s claim of ignorance regarding his visa application accuracy. Rana is linked to the 26/11 attacks by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, resulting in 166 casualties, including six Americans. India’s National Investigation Agency is pursuing Rana’s extradition through diplomatic channels for his alleged role in the attacks.
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