Mumbai terror attack case: US government asks Supreme Court to dismiss Rana’s writ

After losing his legal battle in lower courts and several federal courts, including the US Court of Appeals for the North Circuit in San Francisco, Mumbai attack convict Tahavur Rana filed a “petition for writ of certiorari” in the US Supreme Court on November 13. the court File | Photo credit: AP

The United States government has asked the Supreme Court to quash the “writ of certiorari” filed against the extradition of Mumbai attack convict Tahavur Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin to India.

India is seeking to extradite Rana as he is wanted in the Mumbai terror attack case. After losing legal battles in lower courts and several federal courts, including the US Court of Appeals for the North Circuit in San Francisco, Rana filed a “petition for writ of certiorari” with the US Supreme Court on November 13.

This is the last legal chance to avoid Rana’s extradition to India in a protracted battle.

“The petition for writ of certiorari must be denied,” said U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogger said in its filing with the Supreme Court on December 16, 2024.

“In this case, Rana has no right to grant relief from extradition to India,” she argued in a 20-page petition.

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Rana, in his petition for review of the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, contends that he was tried and acquitted in the federal court for the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago). Related to the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. “India is now seeking his extradition for trial on the basis of similar treatment in the Chicago case,” the petition said.

“The government does not accept that all of India’s extradition-seeking conduct was covered by the government prosecution in this case. For example, India’s fraud charges are based on conduct that was not charged in the United States: the petitioner’s use of false information in an application to formally open a branch office of the Immigration Law Center submitted to the Reserve Bank of India. The US Solicitor General said.

“It is not clear whether the jury’s verdict in this case – which involved conspiracy charges and was somewhat difficult to parse – meant he was ‘guilty or innocent’ of all the specific conduct alleged by India,” Ms Prielogger said. .