Biden administration urges US courtroom to extradite 26/11 assault accused Tahawwur Rana to India

The Biden administration has urged a federal courtroom in Los Angeles to extradite Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana to India the place he’s hunted for his involvement within the 2008 Mumbai terror assault.

Rana, 59, has been declared a fugitive by India, the place he’s dealing with a number of legal expenses for his involvement within the 2008 Mumbai terror assault through which 166 folks, together with six Americans, had been killed. He was rearrested on June 10, 2020, in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India.In a submission earlier than the US District Court, Central District of California in Los Angeles, the US authorities argues that India’s extradition request incorporates adequate proof of possible trigger on every of the legal expenses for which India seeks Rana’s extradition.READ: US courtroom permits 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana to file extra reply in extradition to India case“Having found that all of the requirements for certification of extradition have been satisfied, the Court certifies the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana to the Secretary of State and commits him to custody pursuant,” in accordance with a draft order proposed by the US legal professional in his submission earlier than the courtroom final week.“Based on the evidence submitted by India, RANA allowed fraud against the Indian government to occur through the creation and submission of forged documents. The purpose behind such fraud is irrelevant under the Indian criminal provisions,” mentioned the doc titled proposed findings of information and conclusions of regulation.Rana is needed by the Indian authorities for his alleged involvement within the lethal assaults which might be generally known as India’s 9/11. An Indian warrant for his arrest was issued in August 2018.Indian authorities allege that Rana conspired together with his childhood good friend David Coleman Headley to help the Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), or Army of the Good, within the orchestration of the 2008 terror assaults in Mumbai.“In any event, RANA knowingly allowed Headley to obtain the business visa and the cover that he needed to conduct terrorism-related surveillance operations in India, ultimately leading to the three-day terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Accordingly, the Court finds there is probable cause that RANA conspired to forge a document for the purpose of cheating and use a forged document as genuine, in violation of IPC 120B, 468, and 471,” it mentioned.According to the courtroom doc, the proof establishes that the Mumbai assaults had been dedicated by LeT, a terrorist organisation concentrating on India. Thus, an assault on Indian soil, particularly one that may lead to mass casualties, accidents, and injury to property, would strike terror within the Indian folks.ALSO READ: Mumbai assault convict Headley can’t be extradited to India: US legal professional“Rana was aware that Headley was involved with LeT, and that by assisting Headley and affording him a cover for his activities, he was supporting the terrorist organisation and its associates. Rana knew of Headley’s meetings, what was discussed, and the planning of the attacks, including some of the targets. Further, it was foreseeable that these attacks would lead to death, injury, and destruction of property,” it mentioned.“Accordingly, this Court finds that there is probable cause that Rana committed the crimes of conspiracy with the object of committing a terrorist act, in violation of IPC 120B and UAPA 16, and conspiracy to commit a terrorist act, in violation of UAPA 18. The court further finds that under an agency theory or an abetting theory (as contemplated by UAPA 16), there is probable cause that Rana committed the substantive crime of commission of a terrorist act in violation of UAPA 16,” mentioned the doc submitted by the US legal professional.India has charged forgery for functions of dishonest, in violation of IPC 468, as an object of the alleged legal conspiracy. India additionally charged the crime of utilizing as real a solid doc or digital document, in violation of IPC 471, as an object of the alleged legal conspiracy.The doc mentioned that the proof establishes that Rana conspired with Headley to supply false info on a number of paperwork submitted to the Indian authorities.“In 2006 and 2007, Rana conspired with Headley to include false information on Indian government documents, so that Headley could obtain business visas (a one-year and a five-year multiple entry) as an alleged employee of Rana’s business. On both occasions, Rana reviewed Headley’s applications and failed to correct information Rana knew to be false,” it mentioned.“Rana also had the Immigrant Law Center, through his unsuspecting business partner, submit the applications to the Indian Consulate. RANA also allowed his business to apply to the Reserve Bank of India, while falsely claiming it wanted to open an office in Mumbai with Headley serving as the business’s ‘Office Head’” it mentioned.On the opposite hand, Rana’s legal professional of their proposed draft order is against the extradition.“The Court finds that the government has not satisfied the requirement of Article 9(3)(c) of the Treaty that a request for extradition be supported by such information as would justify the committal for trial of the person if the offense had been committed in the Requested State,” it said.Extradition is therefore denied,” says “Rana’s proposed findings of facts and conclusions of law.” Both the paperwork had been submitted earlier than the courtroom on July 15.ALSO READ: 26/11 assaults anniversary: US says standing with India to make sure justice for victimsWATCH: Decoding Mehul Choksi’s audio clip on alleged kidnapping by Indian companies