By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. has approved the extradition of a suspect in the 2008 militant attacks in India’s financial capital Mumbai in which over 160 people were killed, President Donald Trump said on Thursday in a press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The three-day attacks on hotels, a train station and a Jewish center in which 166 people were killed began on November 26, 2008. India says Pakistan-based Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba orchestrated the attacks. Pakistan’s government denies being involved.
“I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and one of the very evil people of the world, having to do with the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack to face justice in India. So he is going to be going back to India to face justice,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Trump did not name the individual in the press conference but a joint statement from the two sides later identified the man as Pakistani-origin Chicago businessman and Canadian citizen Tahawwur Rana.
The joint India-U.S. statement also called on India’s neighbor Pakistan to bring to justice those accused of extremist attacks against India and prevent its territory from being used for extremism. Pakistan’s government denies supporting extremist activities.
Late last month, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Rana’s review petition against his extradition.
Rana was previously sentenced to U.S. federal prison for providing support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Trump was also asked in the press conference about Sikh separatists in the United States, whom India calls security threats. Sikh separatists demand an independent homeland known as Khalistan to be carved out of India.
Trump did not respond directly to the question but said India and the U.S. worked together on crime.
Since 2023, India’s alleged targeting of Sikh separatists in the U.S. and Canada has emerged as a wrinkle in U.S.-India ties, with Washington charging an ex-Indian intelligence officer in a foiled U.S. plot. India says it is probing U.S. allegations.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
