January 25, 2025 - The US Supreme Court has cleared the extradition of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack convict Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India, after it denied the "petition for a writ of certiorari" filed by Rana who is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles, USA.

India is seeking the extradition of Rana as he is wanted in the November 26, 2008, Mumbai terrorist attacks case which killed 166, including six Americans. The attacks involved more than 60-hour siege by 10 Pakistani terrorists who carried out 12 shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days at key locations across Mumbai. Rana is linked to Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley who was a key conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

A Canadian national of Pakistani origin, Rana is an accused in the Mumbai terrorist attacks case and India has been seeking his extradition. He had filed the writ of certiorari in the US Supreme Court on November 13 which was denied on January 21. Interestingly, this was a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the US President.

"Petition DENIED," the Supreme Court had said.

 This was Rana's last legal chance to avoid being extradited to India. Earlier, he had filed legal petitions in several Federal Courts, including the US Court of Appeals for the North Circuit in San Francisco, and he lost all of them.

The US government has supported India’s extradition request and, in its filing on December 16, US Solicitor General Elizabeth B Prelogar had urged the Court that the petition be rejected.

What is “a writ of certiorari"?

A writ of certiorari is a plea filed in the higher Court by a petitioner who is seeking review of his case for reasons specified. If the higher Court accepts the writ of certiorari then it will direct the lower Court to send it the case records. On review, the higher Court may issue a new ruling if it considers so, remand the case back to the lower Court or overturn the lower Court's decision.