New Delhi: The Indian government on Thursday said it is in touch with the US authorities to ensure that there is a speedy and early extradition of Tahawwur Rana. In response to a media query over the matter, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, "We are in regular touch with the US authorities to ensure that there is speedy and early extradition of Tahawwur Rana".
"We have all seen the judgment that was delivered by the local US court there. That conversation of ours with the US side is continuing", he added. Kwatra's response comes hours after a US court has consented to the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana to India where he is sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
The decision to extradition comes just a month before PM Modi's visit to the US where he will be hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a state dinner on June 22. India's Foreign Secretary was responding to the question during the special media briefing on Thursday on PM Modi's visit to Hiroshima for the G7 summit, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.
According to sources, on June 10, 2020, India filed a complaint seeking the provisional arrest of Rana for extradition. The US had supported and approved the extradition of Rana to India. Tahawwur Rana is a Pakistani former military doctor, who served in the Pakistan Army. He moved to Canada after gaining citizenship and became an immigration service businessman.
In 2011, he was convicted of providing support to the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and of allegedly plotting an attack on the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Rana is fighting extradition by claiming double jeopardy because he was acquitted of Mumbai massacre charges in a Chicago federal courtroom. The US court's order to extradite Rana was issued by US Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Choolijian.
