 "Mumbai attack accused Tahawwur Rana likely to be extradited to India soon")
The government reportedly believes that the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian-Pakistani citizen who was involved in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, could happen soon, and has begun making preparations for his handover by the United States (US).
Rana's extradition to India could take place not later than the second half of December, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.
Officials from central investigative agencies and legal departments of both countries recently held discussions at the US Embassy in Delhi, where Rana's extradition was discussed, the sources cited by the report added.
The meeting, which reportedly lasted around three hours, focused primarily on Rana's extradition, with the talks centring on the preparations and logistics the Indian side will need to have in place to facilitate the process. Arrangements for Rana's imprisonment once he arrives in India were also discussed.
The meeting followed the denial of Rana's request on September 23 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to rehear his extradition case.
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On August 15, the Court of Appeals had affirmed a District Court's denial of Rana's habeas corpus petition.
The court stated that India had provided sufficient competent evidence to support the magistrate judge's finding of probable cause that Rana had committed the crimes for which he is charged.
According to the national daily, Rana now has a 45-day window to appeal the extradition ruling to the US Supreme Court.
The process could be delayed by up to another 45 days, depending on whether the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case.
However, the national daily explained that such a scenario is rare. The US Supreme Court only accepts around 100-150 of the more than 7,000 cases it is asked to review each year, which means only about 2 per cent of cases are taken up, according to the US government's courts website on procedures.
Who is Tahawwur Rana?
Rana, a 63-year-old Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman, is a childhood friend of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley, one of the principal conspirators behind the Mumbai attacks.
Headley, a US citizen born to an American mother and a Pakistani father, was arrested in October 2009 by US authorities and sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
After a stint as a doctor in the Pakistan Army, Rana moved to Canada, where he later obtained Canadian citizenship.
He then established a consultancy firm, First World Immigration Services, in Chicago. The Mumbai branch of this firm provided Headley with the cover to scout and survey targets for the Pakistani terror group LeT.
During the 26/11 attacks, which began on November 26, 2008, 10 LeT terrorists stormed Mumbai, and for four days the city was under siege. The attacks killed 166 people, including six Americans. The attackers were all Pakistani nationals.
Rana was arrested by US authorities shortly after Headley's detention.
Rana is wanted by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Rana was tried in a US district court on charges related to his support for a terrorist organisation that executed large-scale attacks in Mumbai.
He was convicted by a jury for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation and conspiring to support a foiled plot aimed at attacking targets in Denmark.
However, the jury acquitted Rana of conspiring to provide material support for terrorism connected to the attacks in India.
Following his seven-year prison sentence for those convictions and subsequent compassionate release, India submitted an extradition request to prosecute him for his alleged role in the Mumbai attacks.