India, April 10 -- The die is cast. The US Supreme Court has refused the final appeal of 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana for a stay on his extradition to India. It has been more than 23 years, keeping in mind that he was possibly being tracked since 2002. It is the case of a man who stayed in the shadows, even while being linked closely to David Headley who was working directly under the Lashkar-e-Tayyba (LeT) towards giving effect to 26/11. Neither were arrested till well after 26/11.

These are the bare facts. Rana studied in the Pakistan army's elite Hassan Abdal Cadet School together with Headley and eventually became a military doctor. Both were involved in narcotics trafficking from the tribal areas, where Rana's military documents enab...