India formally asks Pakistan to extradite Mumbai attack suspect Hafiz Saeed
India has formally requested that Pakistan extradite the 2008 Mumbai attacks suspect Hafiz Saeed for trial in India, according to New Delhi’s Ministry of External Affairs.
“We have conveyed a request along with relevant supporting documents to the government of Pakistan,” ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters in a briefing on Friday.
Bagchi said the last communication was sent to Pakistan “a few weeks ago”, local media reported.
Saeed, who is currently in custody in Pakistan, co-founded the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) armed group. He is accused by India and the United States of being involved in the attacks on India’s financial hub, which killed 166 people.
India has long been asking its neighbour to hand Saeed over to face trial in the case.
Saeed denies any involvement in the 2008 attacks, in which 10 gunmen slipped into Mumbai by boat from Pakistan. The gunmen carried out attacks at city landmarks for days.
Pakistani authorities placed him under house arrest for different periods, accusing him of involvement in armed groups. Saeed was jailed on April 9, 2002, by a Pakistani court for 31 years in connection with “terrorism” financing.