Will 26/11 accused be extradited before polls?

August 18, 2023 13:01

Tahawwur Rana

Ujjwal Nikam, the special public prosecutor of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, says the possible extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the case, is now a question of a few months.

Nikam's statement came on the heels of US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel's remarks to call for those involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to be brought to justice.

Patel, however, said that the extradition process of Tahawwur Rana is a "pending matter'.

A US court on Thursday denied the writ of habeas corpus filed by Tahawwur Rana, paving the way for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to issue a certification for him to be extradited to India, where he is facing charges of his involvement in 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

On the US court denying the writ of habeas corpus, Ujjwal Nikam said, "Indeed it's a great success for India and I have no hesitation to say that because of the good relations between the US government and Indian government, the US administration had correctly declared that in any case whosoever the offender in the 26/11 terror attack case on Mumbai they should be punished according to law.

"It would all depend now on the US administration as to when Tahawwur Rana is to be sent back to India for trial. The moot question is where he will be tried, whether in the NIA court at Delhi or elsewhere, those questions will be decided by the investigating agency," the special public prosecutor of the 26/11 case added.

Tahawwur Rana is not the first person who is currently serving time in a US jail after being accused of being part of the 26/11 attack conspiracy. Before Rana, David Coleman Headley was also arrested by the US.

Headley struck a plea bargain with the US government to avoid being extradited to India. His statement was however recorded by Nikam who had cross-examined him in an open court through a virtual conference. -- ANI

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