Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 59, a childhood friend of David Coleman Headley and co-accused in 2008 Mumbai terror attack is facing extradition request by India for his involvement in the Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed. Rana, who has been declared a fugitive by India, is opposing his extradition.
In a submission early this week before the US District Court Judge in Los Angeles Jacqueline Chelonian, the attorney of Rana, opposing his extradition claimed that as of now there is no indication in the record that India has agreed to give up Headley’s extradition to India.
“India presumably could have agreed to forgo Headley’s extradition in return for his assistance to the United States, but there is no indication in the record that it did so,” the court submission told the court.
“In fact, the opinion of the Indian prosecutor serving as the government’s expert states: “The present opinion is specific to the extradition request in respect of fugitive Tahawwur Hussain Rana. This opinion may not be construed in any manner to indicate that the various extradition requests pending with different sovereign nations in respect of the above-mentioned case which includes the case in respect of Accused No. 1, David Coleman Headley, is either being given up or not being pursued vigorously,” said the motion filed by his attorneys.
Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Headley was involved in plotting the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. He was made an approver in the case and is currently serving a 35-year prison term in the US for his role in the attack.
