The in-person extradition hearing of Tahawwur Rana is scheduled to be held in federal US court in Los Angeles on Friday. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Court Judge Jacqueline Chooljian will hear the extradition at Indian government's request. According to media reports, a team of officials from India has reached the US for this hearing.
Tahawwur Hussain Rana is a Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman who is sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in India. At the same time, the Indian government has already declared him a fugitive. Here, before the hearing, sealed documents from the US government presented in front of the court. The hearing will take place on June 25 at 1:30 pm US time. According to a source, "It is a big development that the court has listed the matter for hearing. Meanwhile, this is a step forward towards Tahawwur's extradition."
Rana, a childhood friend of prime convict David Coleman Headley, arrested on June 10, 2020 in Los Angeles on an extradition request by the Indian government. In the hearing held on February 4, Rana's lawyer argued in court. In this, he had said that Rana's extradition is in violation of Article 6 of the treaty between India and America. Meanwhile, he has acquitted of all the offenses for which his extradition has sought.
Meanwhile, in December 2018, senior officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had met US authorities and requested for Rana's extradition. In January 2019, then minister of state (external affairs) V.K. Singh had told the Parliament that India was trying to convince US authorities to extradite individuals who plotted 26/11.
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