New Delhi: A US court has ruled that Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana can be extradited to India to face charges of his involvement in the 2008 (26/11) Mumbai terror attacks.
Rana was arrested in the US in 2011 on an extradition request from India.
Tahawwur Rana has been accused of providing financial and logistical support to the attackers, who killed 166 people, including six Americans.
The court’s ruling is a major victory for India, which has been seeking Rana’s extradition for years.
Federal prosecutors argued that Rana was aware of Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, his childhood friend of being involved with Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The prosecutors stated by assisting Headley and affording him cover for his activities, he was supporting the terrorist organisation and its associates.
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The NIA, India’s top anti-terror agency, has said that it is ready to initiate proceedings to bring Rana to India through diplomatic channels.
Rana’s attorney has said that he will appeal the court’s ruling.
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The 2008 Mumbai terror attacks were a series of coordinated attacks by 10 Pakistani terrorists who killed 166 people and injured over 300 others.
The attacks lasted for over 60 hours and targeted iconic and vital locations in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Oberoi Trident Hotel, and the Nariman House Jewish community centre.
The attacks were condemned by the international community and led to increased tensions between India and Pakistan.