India in touch with US authorities for 'speedy, early extradition' of Tahawwur Rana
New Delhi, May 18: India is in constant touch with the United States authorities to ensure the 'speedy and early extradition' of Tahawwur Rana, 26/11 Mumbai attacker, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Thursday after Rana's extradition to New Delhi received a green signal from the US.
In response to a media question about the bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden, Kwatra stated, "Look, as I've already mentioned to you, the bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima are still being formed up. So I am not going to make any assumptions about which meetings would happen, and which meetings would not happen. But whatever bilateral meetings that the Prime Minister holds on the sidelines of the G7 Summit with whichever leader, the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship with that particular country would fall under the scope of discussions between the Prime Minister and that leader. "
"But very specifically not connected to the question of which bilateral meeting will take place or not," he added.
Further talking about the issue of extradition of Tahawwur Rana, he said, " In so far as the question of Tahawwur Rana is concerned, we are in very regular touch with the US authorities to ensure that there is a speedy and early extradition of Tahvarana. We have all seen the judgment which was given by the local US court there. That conversation of ours with the US side is continuing."
Previously, a US Court ruled that the 26/11 Mumbai attacker Tahawwur Rana should be extradited to India under the bilateral extradition treaty.
According to the order, the Court studied and considered all of the documents provided in support of and opposition to the request, as well as the arguments stated at the hearing. On that basis, the court rules and certifies to the Secretary of State of the United States Rana's extractability on the charged offences that are the subject of the request.
Judge Jacqueline Chooljian of the US District Court for the Central District of California stated this in a 48-page court order dated May 16, which was released on Wednesday.
This comes a month before PM Modi's visit to the US.
Rana was arrested in the US on an extradition request by India for his role in the Mumbai attacks. In the attacks,10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing over 160 people, including six Americans, at iconic and vital locations in Mumbai.
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- ANI
