US rejects 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana’s extradition stay plea

Who is Rana?

Tahawwur Hussain Rana was born in Chichawatni, which lies in the Punjab Province of Pakistan, in 1961. A physician by profession, Rana served as a Captain, General Duty practitioner in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps. Rana and his wife, who is also a physician, immigrated to Canada in 1997, and obtained Canadian citizenship in June 2001. According to PTI, he lived primarily in Chicago and owns several businesses there, including an immigration service agency, First World Immigration Services, with offices in Chicago, New York and Toronto.

What are the charges against Rana?

Rana is wanted in India for his alleged role in facilitating the Mumbai attacks that killed over 174 people. His extradition has been a long-pending demand from India.

It alleged that Rana helped produce a blueprint that was used by the attackers to plan their assault. Rana's co-conspirators included, among others, David Coleman Headley. Headley pleaded guilty and cooperated against Rana.

Rana is also accused of having close links with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The Mumbai police chargesheet stated that Rana came to India on November 11, 2008, and stayed in the country till November 21. He spent two of these days at the Renaissance Hotel in Mumbai's Powai.

He was arrested by the FBI in 2009. At the time of his arrest, he was operating a travel agency in Chicago, where he had been working alongside Headley.

In 2011, Rana was acquitted by a US court on charges of abetting the Mumbai terror attacks but was convicted of providing material support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and helping a terror plot in Denmar