NEW DELHI: In a final attempt to halt his extradition to India, 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana has petitioned US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, renewing his plea for intervention. This comes after Justice Elena Kagan denied his review petition, paving the way for his transfer to Indian custody.
According to details available on the US Supreme Court website, Rana’s fresh application has been circulated among the judges for discussion in a scheduled conference on April 4, 2025. The move suggests his desperate bid to evade extradition, as India seeks to prosecute him for his alleged role in facilitating the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
“Petitioner Tahawwur Rana has renewed his Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, which was previously addressed to Justice Kagan, and requests that the renewed application be directed to Chief Justice Roberts,” his appeal stated, as per the order published on the US Supreme Court’s website.
Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court denied Rana’s request for a stay on his extradition to India. In January, the US Supreme Court dismissed his petition for a writ of certiorari, which he had filed in November 2024 in an effort to overturn a lower court’s ruling that approved his extradition.
A writ of certiorari allows a higher court to review decisions made by a lower court, but in this case, the Supreme Court refused to intervene.
Rana’s extradition has been a subject of high-level diplomatic discussions. On February 14, Donald Trump announced his extradition during a joint press conference with PM Narendra Modi in Washington, underscoring the case’s geopolitical significance.
Rana’s legal team has insisted that extradition would not only endanger his life but also violate human rights.