26/11: US prison agency says Tahawwur Rana no longer in its custody
Washington(The Uttam Hindu): Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistan-origin conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is no longer in the custody of the US Bureau of Prisons, according to a recent update from the agency. His appeal to block his extradition to India was rejected by the US Supreme Court earlier this week, and as of Wednesday, Rana is no longer listed in the Bureau of Prisons' custody.
It is unclear whether Rana has already been transferred to India. The Federal Bureau of Prisons website confirmed, “Not in BOP Custody as of: 04/08/2025.”
The US Supreme Court had earlier cleared Rana's extradition, denying his application. "Application (…) denied by the Court," the court's docket stated on Monday. The US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs is now expected to work with Indian authorities for his handover.
Rana had attempted to block his extradition by citing the risk of torture, referencing a UK case where a convicted money launderer’s extradition to India was blocked over similar concerns. His legal counsel argued that if the UK had blocked that extradition, Rana, too, should be protected. However, this plea was rejected by Justice Elena Kagan in March, and Rana’s appeal to Chief Justice John Roberts was also dismissed.
Rana is accused in India of assisting David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American who helped Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists target locations in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Although Rana was acquitted by a US jury of providing material support to the attackers, he was convicted on other charges and sentenced to over 10 years in prison.
Rana, who had been released due to health concerns following the Covid-19 pandemic, was later rearrested for extradition to India. While Headley secured a deal to avoid extradition, Rana’s attempts to halt his extradition have now been exhausted. His extradition was first announced by President Donald Trump during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House in February
