Mumbai citizens burst firecrackers, distributed sweets and relived memories of the November 26, 2008 massacre as soon as they heard the order on Thursday of the Special Sessions Court sentencing Kasab to death by hanging. Crackers went off in South Mumbai in the predominantly Muslim areas of the city, and people carried placards welcoming the verdict. Various groups came out on the street with banners and posters, passing sweets around.
At Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), where Kasab and Abu Ismail wreaked havoc, crackers were burst to welcome the verdict. People queued up to pay homage at the memorial to victims. Right from 10-year-old Devika Rotawan, who was a witness, to Kavita Karkare, wife of the killed police officer Hemant Karkare, families of victims and survivors have been demanding death for Kasab for that night of horror which claimed 166 lives.
For Assistant Police Inspector Hemant Bowdhankar, this was the day he was waiting for ever since he helped in the capture of Kasab. Mr. Bowdhankar was part of the police team from D B Marg police station which stopped Kasab and Abu Ismail at Chowpatty as they drove up in a stolen silver Skoda on the night of November 26, and engaged them in a short gun battle.
The Mumbai police will always remember the sacrifice of policeman Tukaram Ombale who fell to Kasab's bullets that night. The death sentence has vindicated somewhat his sacrifice, feel the policemen. Mr. Bowdhankar told TheHindu: “I was expecting the maximum punishment for Kasab. Everyone did a good job of giving evidence and the truth was what made the difference. We all welcome this judgment.”
Another policeman, who was part of this team and who does not wish to be named, says that this is a judgment that should make all Indians proud. It was the result of teamwork of the Mumbai police, and the Indian judiciary showed the world how it could conduct a fair trial. This is a moment to feel proud of our judiciary as well, he said.
However, Ms. Karkare, while welcoming the death sentence, was disappointed that two persons were acquitted in this case. Kasab should not be given an opportunity to go to the Supreme Court and his sentence should be executed immediately, she added.
Vaishali Ombale, daughter of Tukaram Ombale, expressed fears that the punishment would be delayed. She, like many other families of victims, called for a speedy end to the whole thing.
“Fit punishment”
Vishnu Zende, the announcer at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) who repeatedly made announcements asking people to clear the station that night, was happy. “I saw what Kasab did that day at CST and this is a fit punishment. Nothing less would have done. We are all very happy to hear this verdict,” he said.
The government too welcomed the death sentence for Kasab. Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and State Home Minister R.R. Patil praised the judiciary and Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, and said there must be no delay in executing Kasab's death sentence.
Mr. Chavan said the verdict reflected the public sentiment. The trial was fair and democratic and ended within a year. He complimented judge M.L. Tahaliyani and also senior police officials, Rakesh Maria, Deven Bharati and the Mumbai police for the way in which they handled this case.
Mr. Patil said India was a soft target for terrorists and this judgment should send a strong signal to the world that terrorism would not be tolerated. Considering the gravity of charges against Kasab, that of waging war against India and murder, it could be nothing less than the death sentence. Given the brutality of the attack, the punishment seemed less, he said.
Mr. Patil once again said that all those convicted who were in Pakistan must be brought to India and the world community must bring pressure on Pakistan to do so. Responding to newspaper reports that the State had no hangman, Mr. Patil said the government would find one.
He said the government would appeal to the Centre to fast track the legal procedure so that there was no delay in executing the sentence. In regard to the acquittal of the two Indians in the case, Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed, Mr. Patil said the government would file an appeal against it in the High Court.
Showing posts with label Kasab. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kasab. Show all posts
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Kasab sentenced to death by special court
Pakistani gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab was sentenced to death on Thursday for the Mumbai terror attacks by a special court, which said that keeping such a terrorist alive will be a “lingering danger” to the society and the Indian government.
The special anti-terror court of M.L. Tahaliyani pronounced capital punishment for the 22-year-old terrorist on five counts of murder, conspiracy to murder, waging war against the country, abetting murder and committing terrorist activities under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. 166 people were killed in the carnage.
Kasab was also awarded life imprisonment on five other counts including attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and under the Explosive Substances Act.
“In the court’s opinion, Kasab has no chance to reform. Keeping such a terrorist alive will be a lingering danger to the society and the Indian government,” Justice Tahaliyani said while pronouncing his verdict, three days after he convicted him for the massacre.
The judge cited the example of the Kandahar hijack case in which arrested terrorists were swapped for the passengers held hostage. “If Kasab is kept alive, this situation may occur again,” he said.
The judge said Kasab had joined terror outfit LeT voluntarily and offered himself to be a “mujahideen“(holy warrior).
Kasab, who hails from Fardikot in Pakistan, broke down after hearing the sentence.
As the judge was reading out the sentence, Kasab was seen sobbing. He asked for a glass of water during the pronouncement.
After the sentence was read out, Tahaliyani explained to him in Hindi that he had been given death penalty on five counts and whether he wanted to say anything.
But the Pakistani gunman simply shook his head after which he was taken away by the police back to the Arthur Road jail.
Stating that Kasab was mentally prepared to attack India, the judge rejected defence lawyer K.P. Pawar’s argument that he had acted on the directions of LeT founder Hafiz Sayeed.
Branding the terrorist as a “killing machine manufactured in Pakistan”, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had on Tuesday sought nothing less than death for Kasab, saying the case fell within “the rarest of rare” category.
The plea of Mr. Pawar, who while admitting that his client was “blinded by religion” sought leniency for the terrorist given his young age, failed to convince the judge.
Describing Kasab as “killing machine” and a “heartless monster”, Mr. Nikam had argued, “such machines are manufactured in Pakistan and if he is not sent to the gallows he would turn into a blood thirsty wild animal.
“Kasab is a heartless monster who is a curse to the society...He not only enjoyed killing innocent people but also expressed anger while confessing before a Magistrate that he could not execute more,” he had said in his arguments on the quantum of sentence for the convicted terrorist.
Mr. Pawar, however, pleaded that given his young age and no previous criminal record, Kasab be given a chance to be reformed and rehabilitated.
“The militancy in Kashmir and Godhra riots had an impact on the mind of young Kasab who was emotionally disturbed and blinded by religion," Mr. Pawar had said.
The special anti-terror court of M.L. Tahaliyani pronounced capital punishment for the 22-year-old terrorist on five counts of murder, conspiracy to murder, waging war against the country, abetting murder and committing terrorist activities under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. 166 people were killed in the carnage.
Kasab was also awarded life imprisonment on five other counts including attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and under the Explosive Substances Act.
“In the court’s opinion, Kasab has no chance to reform. Keeping such a terrorist alive will be a lingering danger to the society and the Indian government,” Justice Tahaliyani said while pronouncing his verdict, three days after he convicted him for the massacre.
The judge cited the example of the Kandahar hijack case in which arrested terrorists were swapped for the passengers held hostage. “If Kasab is kept alive, this situation may occur again,” he said.
The judge said Kasab had joined terror outfit LeT voluntarily and offered himself to be a “mujahideen“(holy warrior).
Kasab, who hails from Fardikot in Pakistan, broke down after hearing the sentence.
As the judge was reading out the sentence, Kasab was seen sobbing. He asked for a glass of water during the pronouncement.
After the sentence was read out, Tahaliyani explained to him in Hindi that he had been given death penalty on five counts and whether he wanted to say anything.
But the Pakistani gunman simply shook his head after which he was taken away by the police back to the Arthur Road jail.
Stating that Kasab was mentally prepared to attack India, the judge rejected defence lawyer K.P. Pawar’s argument that he had acted on the directions of LeT founder Hafiz Sayeed.
Branding the terrorist as a “killing machine manufactured in Pakistan”, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had on Tuesday sought nothing less than death for Kasab, saying the case fell within “the rarest of rare” category.
The plea of Mr. Pawar, who while admitting that his client was “blinded by religion” sought leniency for the terrorist given his young age, failed to convince the judge.
Describing Kasab as “killing machine” and a “heartless monster”, Mr. Nikam had argued, “such machines are manufactured in Pakistan and if he is not sent to the gallows he would turn into a blood thirsty wild animal.
“Kasab is a heartless monster who is a curse to the society...He not only enjoyed killing innocent people but also expressed anger while confessing before a Magistrate that he could not execute more,” he had said in his arguments on the quantum of sentence for the convicted terrorist.
Mr. Pawar, however, pleaded that given his young age and no previous criminal record, Kasab be given a chance to be reformed and rehabilitated.
“The militancy in Kashmir and Godhra riots had an impact on the mind of young Kasab who was emotionally disturbed and blinded by religion," Mr. Pawar had said.
I am happy, says Nikam
“I am happy with the judgement,” Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam declared Thursday, after Pakistani national Ajmal Amir Kasab was sentenced to death in the 26/11 case.
“This case was a challenge to us,” Nikam told reporters, adding that capital punishment would help heal the wounds of the victims of the 2008 terror attack on Mumbai by Pakistani terrorists.
“This case was a challenge to us,” Nikam told reporters, adding that capital punishment would help heal the wounds of the victims of the 2008 terror attack on Mumbai by Pakistani terrorists.
Kasab sentenced to death by special court
Pakistani gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab was sentenced to death on Thursday by a special court for the Mumbai terror attacks, three days after he was pronounced guilty of mass murder and waging war against the Indian state.
The special anti-terror court of M.L. Tahaliyani handed death to Kasab, the lone surviving 26/11 gunman, a year after the trial in the brazen attacks commenced.
Kasab was given the death penalty on five counts including waging war against the nation, murder, criminal conspiracy and committing terror activities.
Asserting that Kasab’s role in the attacks that traumatised the nation fell under the rarest of rare category for giving death sentence, Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had on Tuesday branded him as “a Pakistani killing machine” and a “heartless monster” who revelled in seeing innocent people dying in pain.
Kasab breaks down in court
Kasab, who hails from Fardikot in Pakistan, broke down after hearing the sentence.
As special judge M.L. Tahilyani was reading out the sentence, Kasab was seen sobbing. He asked for a glass of water during the pronouncement.
After the sentence was read out, the Judge explained to him in Hindi that he had been given death penalty on five counts and whether he wanted to say anything.
But the Pakistani gunman simply shook his head after which he was taken away by the police back to the Arthur Road jail.
The court had on May 3 held Kasab guilty under various sections of IPC, Arms Act, Explosives Substances Act, Explosives Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Customs Act and Foreigners Act.
Prosecution demands the death penalty
Making a strong pitch for capital punishment, Nikam had warned if he was awarded any less severe penalty, “India will become a soft target for every self-styled terror group“.
“There has been a high degree of cruelty and Kasab had total disregard for life. Kasab is a killing machine manufactured in Pakistan,” he had said.
Nikam had said Kasab had “lost the right to live” while defence counsel K.P. Pawar cited Kasab’s young age and pleaded for leniency. He contended that Kasab was “blinded by religion and should be given a chance to reform“.
Nikam had claimed that Kasab was in a “joyous” mood seeing people dying in pain and agony after opening indiscriminate fire at the bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and elsewhere during the attacks.
“There was no remorse and he said in his confession before the magistrate that he wanted to inspire future fidayeens (suicide killers).
“If death is not awarded, it would be a mockery of justice,” Nikam had argued.
According to the prosecution, Kasab had expressed disappointment that he had landed at the CST after the rush hour. Kasab had anticipated a busier station, based on CDs he had been shown of CST before the attack.
The prosecution had also said that in his confession to the Mumbai police, Kasab had stated that he was upset that he could not kill more people at the station. At CST alone, Kasab killed close to 60 people in an hour with his partner, Abu Ismael.
Role of Pakistan
In his 1522-page verdict, the judge had also held that evidence adduced by the prosecution pointed a finger at Pakistan and established that the absconding accused, including LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and chief of operations Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi had plotted the attacks.
Barring a few minor charges pertaining to forgery and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Kasab was convicted of almost all 86 charges he was arraigned for.
The terrorist’s lawyer’s contention that the militancy in Kashmir and the Godhra riots had impacted a young and impressionable Kasab, who was emotionally disturbed, and his impassioned plea for leniency, failed to cut ice with the judge.
The court had acquitted two alleged Indian collaborators-Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed-of the charge of conspiracy, saying there was lack of evidence against them.
The duo was charged with having prepared maps of terror targets and handed them over to the Lashkar-e-Taiba for execution of their sinister mission.
Ten terrorists from Pakistan had landed on the placid shores of Mumbai near Badhwar Park on the night of November 26, 2009 on a “Fidayeen” (suicide) mission to mount an attack unparallelled in audacity in virulence.
The special anti-terror court of M.L. Tahaliyani handed death to Kasab, the lone surviving 26/11 gunman, a year after the trial in the brazen attacks commenced.
Kasab was given the death penalty on five counts including waging war against the nation, murder, criminal conspiracy and committing terror activities.
Asserting that Kasab’s role in the attacks that traumatised the nation fell under the rarest of rare category for giving death sentence, Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had on Tuesday branded him as “a Pakistani killing machine” and a “heartless monster” who revelled in seeing innocent people dying in pain.
Kasab breaks down in court
Kasab, who hails from Fardikot in Pakistan, broke down after hearing the sentence.
As special judge M.L. Tahilyani was reading out the sentence, Kasab was seen sobbing. He asked for a glass of water during the pronouncement.
After the sentence was read out, the Judge explained to him in Hindi that he had been given death penalty on five counts and whether he wanted to say anything.
But the Pakistani gunman simply shook his head after which he was taken away by the police back to the Arthur Road jail.
The court had on May 3 held Kasab guilty under various sections of IPC, Arms Act, Explosives Substances Act, Explosives Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Customs Act and Foreigners Act.
Prosecution demands the death penalty
Making a strong pitch for capital punishment, Nikam had warned if he was awarded any less severe penalty, “India will become a soft target for every self-styled terror group“.
“There has been a high degree of cruelty and Kasab had total disregard for life. Kasab is a killing machine manufactured in Pakistan,” he had said.
Nikam had said Kasab had “lost the right to live” while defence counsel K.P. Pawar cited Kasab’s young age and pleaded for leniency. He contended that Kasab was “blinded by religion and should be given a chance to reform“.
Nikam had claimed that Kasab was in a “joyous” mood seeing people dying in pain and agony after opening indiscriminate fire at the bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and elsewhere during the attacks.
“There was no remorse and he said in his confession before the magistrate that he wanted to inspire future fidayeens (suicide killers).
“If death is not awarded, it would be a mockery of justice,” Nikam had argued.
According to the prosecution, Kasab had expressed disappointment that he had landed at the CST after the rush hour. Kasab had anticipated a busier station, based on CDs he had been shown of CST before the attack.
The prosecution had also said that in his confession to the Mumbai police, Kasab had stated that he was upset that he could not kill more people at the station. At CST alone, Kasab killed close to 60 people in an hour with his partner, Abu Ismael.
Role of Pakistan
In his 1522-page verdict, the judge had also held that evidence adduced by the prosecution pointed a finger at Pakistan and established that the absconding accused, including LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and chief of operations Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi had plotted the attacks.
Barring a few minor charges pertaining to forgery and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Kasab was convicted of almost all 86 charges he was arraigned for.
The terrorist’s lawyer’s contention that the militancy in Kashmir and the Godhra riots had impacted a young and impressionable Kasab, who was emotionally disturbed, and his impassioned plea for leniency, failed to cut ice with the judge.
The court had acquitted two alleged Indian collaborators-Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed-of the charge of conspiracy, saying there was lack of evidence against them.
The duo was charged with having prepared maps of terror targets and handed them over to the Lashkar-e-Taiba for execution of their sinister mission.
Ten terrorists from Pakistan had landed on the placid shores of Mumbai near Badhwar Park on the night of November 26, 2009 on a “Fidayeen” (suicide) mission to mount an attack unparallelled in audacity in virulence.
Kasab awaits sentence, prosecution demands death penalty
The fate of Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab, who shot dead 166 people along with his associates in November 2008, would be decided on Thursday by a special court which will consider imposing either life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Kasab has been found guilty of 80 charges under various acts including 'waging war against the nation' and mass murders, for which the minimum punishment prescribed in law is life imprisonment and the maximum death penalty.
The prosecution, led by Ujjwal Nikam, has demanded capital punishment for the convicted terrorist while defence lawyer K.P. Pawar has pleaded for life imprisonment on the grounds that he was blinded by religion and should be given a chance to reform.
The verdict is expected to be pronounced at 12:30 hours by Special Judge M.L. Tahaliyani, who conducted the trial of Kasab for nearly a year in the high security central prison at Arthur Road in Central Mumbai.
Unprecedented security measures have been undertaken in and around the central prison. Large numbers of police have been deployed all along the Sane Guruji Marg where the jail is located. A total of 200 Indo-Tibetan Border Security guards have been entrusted the task of Kasab's security in the prison.
If Kasab gets the death penalty, the verdict will be referred to the Bombay High Court for confirmation. Kasab also has a right to appeal against the verdict in the High Court.
The government may also consider filing an appeal in the High Court against the order of the trial court acquitting two Indians, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, who were also tried along with Kasab for participating in conspiracy by conducting recee of 26/11 targets and giving hand drawn maps of these places to LeT which executed the attacks.
The high court may hear all these matters simultaneously. If the ruling goes against Kasab, he will still have a right to move the Supreme Court. If he is not satisfied with the apex court's decision, Kasab can file a mercy petition before the President.
All these procedures would take quite some time and Kasab would have to wait patiently for the verdicts in the higher courts.
Since his arrest on November 27, 2008, Kasab has been kept in solitary confinement in central prison in a specially made bomb and bullet-proof cell.
So far none of his relatives from Pakistan have tried to contact Kasab or the Indian authorities. He has also not expressed his desire to meet his relatives.
Kasab had approached the court midway during the trial pleading that he would prefer a lawyer from Pakistan to defend him. The court, however, told him that his request has been forwarded to the Pakistan authorities and India has not yet received any response from the neighbouring country.
Prosecutor Nikam, cited nine Supreme Court judgements to show that this case fell within the purview of the 'rarest of the rare' ratio laid down by the apex court to award the death penalty.
"If we do not give him death, then India will be perceived as a soft target by terrorist organisations and they will continue to target us," Nikam argued before the court on Tuesday.
Reading out Kasab's confession, Nikam said he deserved no mercy and added that "he was a blood thirsty maniac who felt unhappy when he saw at Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus that there were not enough people to kill."
Most of the victims were helpless and unarmed and Kasab mercilessly shot them dead. He and slain terrorist Abu Ismail had directly killed 72 persons by using their AK 47 rifles and planting RDX in two taxis.
Among the victims were eight women and seven children.
Kasab was also responsible for the death of other victims who were shot dead by his associates, Nikam said.
The convicted terrorist was a monster in human form and enjoyed the act of killing people. This is clear from his face captured in the photographs shot by two media cameraman, Nikam said.
However, Kasab's lawyer K.P. Pawar said that his client was young and had been brainwashed by LeT.
Kasab had been shown films about Kashmir and Godhra riots and he was "blinded by religion while committing terrorists acts," the lawyer said.
Pawar argued that Kasab should be given a chance to reform.
Kasab has been found guilty of 80 charges under various acts including 'waging war against the nation' and mass murders, for which the minimum punishment prescribed in law is life imprisonment and the maximum death penalty.
The prosecution, led by Ujjwal Nikam, has demanded capital punishment for the convicted terrorist while defence lawyer K.P. Pawar has pleaded for life imprisonment on the grounds that he was blinded by religion and should be given a chance to reform.
The verdict is expected to be pronounced at 12:30 hours by Special Judge M.L. Tahaliyani, who conducted the trial of Kasab for nearly a year in the high security central prison at Arthur Road in Central Mumbai.
Unprecedented security measures have been undertaken in and around the central prison. Large numbers of police have been deployed all along the Sane Guruji Marg where the jail is located. A total of 200 Indo-Tibetan Border Security guards have been entrusted the task of Kasab's security in the prison.
If Kasab gets the death penalty, the verdict will be referred to the Bombay High Court for confirmation. Kasab also has a right to appeal against the verdict in the High Court.
The government may also consider filing an appeal in the High Court against the order of the trial court acquitting two Indians, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, who were also tried along with Kasab for participating in conspiracy by conducting recee of 26/11 targets and giving hand drawn maps of these places to LeT which executed the attacks.
The high court may hear all these matters simultaneously. If the ruling goes against Kasab, he will still have a right to move the Supreme Court. If he is not satisfied with the apex court's decision, Kasab can file a mercy petition before the President.
All these procedures would take quite some time and Kasab would have to wait patiently for the verdicts in the higher courts.
Since his arrest on November 27, 2008, Kasab has been kept in solitary confinement in central prison in a specially made bomb and bullet-proof cell.
So far none of his relatives from Pakistan have tried to contact Kasab or the Indian authorities. He has also not expressed his desire to meet his relatives.
Kasab had approached the court midway during the trial pleading that he would prefer a lawyer from Pakistan to defend him. The court, however, told him that his request has been forwarded to the Pakistan authorities and India has not yet received any response from the neighbouring country.
Prosecutor Nikam, cited nine Supreme Court judgements to show that this case fell within the purview of the 'rarest of the rare' ratio laid down by the apex court to award the death penalty.
"If we do not give him death, then India will be perceived as a soft target by terrorist organisations and they will continue to target us," Nikam argued before the court on Tuesday.
Reading out Kasab's confession, Nikam said he deserved no mercy and added that "he was a blood thirsty maniac who felt unhappy when he saw at Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus that there were not enough people to kill."
Most of the victims were helpless and unarmed and Kasab mercilessly shot them dead. He and slain terrorist Abu Ismail had directly killed 72 persons by using their AK 47 rifles and planting RDX in two taxis.
Among the victims were eight women and seven children.
Kasab was also responsible for the death of other victims who were shot dead by his associates, Nikam said.
The convicted terrorist was a monster in human form and enjoyed the act of killing people. This is clear from his face captured in the photographs shot by two media cameraman, Nikam said.
However, Kasab's lawyer K.P. Pawar said that his client was young and had been brainwashed by LeT.
Kasab had been shown films about Kashmir and Godhra riots and he was "blinded by religion while committing terrorists acts," the lawyer said.
Pawar argued that Kasab should be given a chance to reform.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Confession of Kasab was not given under duress: Court
The 26/11 court has accepted a major portion of the confession given by convicted terrorist Ajmal Kasab in which he talked about the involvement of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and the security apparatus of the neighbouring country in the diabolic attacks.
“I have accepted most part of the confession and also held that it was voluntarily given by Kasab and not given under duress as claimed by him,” Judge M.L. Tahaliyani said while pronouncing the operative part of the verdict on Monday.
Magistrate Sawant Waghule had done her best to explain to Kasab that his confession can go against him in the trial and also gave him 72 hours to ponder over his move to confess voluntarily, the judge noted.
“I have rejected Kasab’s plea that his confession was not voluntary and was given under police duress,” the judge said, adding he also dismissed the defence argument that a policeman was present in the magistrate’s chamber when the accused was making a statement.
The mere presence of a policeman in the magistrate’s chamber would not suggest “police pressure” because it could be that the magistrate would have ordered the cop to be there because of security reasons, the judge said.
Moreover, Judge Tahaliyani said, the constable who was present during the confession did not belong to the investigating team and was part of the police staff who had been deputed on duty in the court in the normal course.
Kasab had stated in the confession how he was trained by LeT commanders Hafeez Sayeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi at a training camp in Pakistan.
He also said they were given arms and intelligence training and carried with them modern gadgets like global positioning system and mobile phones with VOIP services.
He narrated the sequence of events commencing from his joining LeT, training, sailing from Karachi to Mumbai, murdering crew of Kuber boat, killing several people and police officers by planting bombs and opening fire on them.
“I have accepted most part of the confession and also held that it was voluntarily given by Kasab and not given under duress as claimed by him,” Judge M.L. Tahaliyani said while pronouncing the operative part of the verdict on Monday.
Magistrate Sawant Waghule had done her best to explain to Kasab that his confession can go against him in the trial and also gave him 72 hours to ponder over his move to confess voluntarily, the judge noted.
“I have rejected Kasab’s plea that his confession was not voluntary and was given under police duress,” the judge said, adding he also dismissed the defence argument that a policeman was present in the magistrate’s chamber when the accused was making a statement.
The mere presence of a policeman in the magistrate’s chamber would not suggest “police pressure” because it could be that the magistrate would have ordered the cop to be there because of security reasons, the judge said.
Moreover, Judge Tahaliyani said, the constable who was present during the confession did not belong to the investigating team and was part of the police staff who had been deputed on duty in the court in the normal course.
Kasab had stated in the confession how he was trained by LeT commanders Hafeez Sayeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi at a training camp in Pakistan.
He also said they were given arms and intelligence training and carried with them modern gadgets like global positioning system and mobile phones with VOIP services.
He narrated the sequence of events commencing from his joining LeT, training, sailing from Karachi to Mumbai, murdering crew of Kuber boat, killing several people and police officers by planting bombs and opening fire on them.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Court to decide fate of Kasab, two Indians
Elaborate security arrangements have been made in and around the Arthur Road Central jail where a special court would on Monday decide the fate of Pakistani gunman Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab and two Indians for their alleged role in the 26/11 terror attacks.
“The prosecution has prepared a watertight case against all the three accused and we hope the verdict would be in our favour,” special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told PTI.
Kasab is facing the charge of killing 166 persons by indiscriminately firing and hurling hand grenades at various places on November 26, 2008.
Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, both Indians, are charged with drawing maps of targets and passing them on to Lashkar-e-Taiba to execute the diabolic terror attacks.
Among the places targeted by the terrorists were Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus, Nariman House, Cama Hospital, Hotel Taj Mahal, Hotel Oberoi-Trident and Metro junction. At some of these places, terrorists held siege for close to 60 hours before being killed by security forces in a pitched battle.
While Kasab was caught alive at Girgaum Chowpatty when he was trying to escape in a car, nine other gunmen were shot dead by police and security forces.
The three accused have been tried under the provisions of various acts including IPC, Bombay Police Act, Passport Act, Customs Act, Foreigners Act, Damage to Public Property Act, Railways Act, and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
Defence lawyer K.P. Pawar said, “We have done our best to convince the court that Kasab is innocent and falsely implicated in the 26/11 terror attack case. Now it is for the court to decide.”
The Arthur Road jail has become a fortress with large number of police personnel posted at various vantage points on Sane Guruji Marg which has been made one way for the traffic movements.
Inside the jail, 200 Indo-Tibetan Border Security guards are providing security cover to Ajmal Kasab who held the city under siege with his associates at the behest of LeT for more than two days from November 26, 2008.
Kasab is lodged in a bullet and bomb proof cell which is covered by iron sheets from all sides. The court is also built with equally strong iron reinforcements to make it bullet and bomb proof.
The other two accused are lodged in separate cells elsewhere in the jail.
Special passes have been issued to media personnel, lawyers, court staff and family members of the accused for their entry into the court. There are at least three entry points where everyone is frisked thoroughly. Pens and cell phones have been prohibited inside the court.
The prosecution had filed a 11,000 page chargesheet against Kasab and two other accused and examined 658 witnesses during the one year-long trial described in legal circles as the fastest ever among the terror cases in India.
“The prosecution has prepared a watertight case against all the three accused and we hope the verdict would be in our favour,” special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told PTI.
Kasab is facing the charge of killing 166 persons by indiscriminately firing and hurling hand grenades at various places on November 26, 2008.
Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, both Indians, are charged with drawing maps of targets and passing them on to Lashkar-e-Taiba to execute the diabolic terror attacks.
Among the places targeted by the terrorists were Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus, Nariman House, Cama Hospital, Hotel Taj Mahal, Hotel Oberoi-Trident and Metro junction. At some of these places, terrorists held siege for close to 60 hours before being killed by security forces in a pitched battle.
While Kasab was caught alive at Girgaum Chowpatty when he was trying to escape in a car, nine other gunmen were shot dead by police and security forces.
The three accused have been tried under the provisions of various acts including IPC, Bombay Police Act, Passport Act, Customs Act, Foreigners Act, Damage to Public Property Act, Railways Act, and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
Defence lawyer K.P. Pawar said, “We have done our best to convince the court that Kasab is innocent and falsely implicated in the 26/11 terror attack case. Now it is for the court to decide.”
The Arthur Road jail has become a fortress with large number of police personnel posted at various vantage points on Sane Guruji Marg which has been made one way for the traffic movements.
Inside the jail, 200 Indo-Tibetan Border Security guards are providing security cover to Ajmal Kasab who held the city under siege with his associates at the behest of LeT for more than two days from November 26, 2008.
Kasab is lodged in a bullet and bomb proof cell which is covered by iron sheets from all sides. The court is also built with equally strong iron reinforcements to make it bullet and bomb proof.
The other two accused are lodged in separate cells elsewhere in the jail.
Special passes have been issued to media personnel, lawyers, court staff and family members of the accused for their entry into the court. There are at least three entry points where everyone is frisked thoroughly. Pens and cell phones have been prohibited inside the court.
The prosecution had filed a 11,000 page chargesheet against Kasab and two other accused and examined 658 witnesses during the one year-long trial described in legal circles as the fastest ever among the terror cases in India.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
“My son got bullet for a glass of water”, recalls 26/11 victim
Fifty-year-old Jamuna Waghela, who escaped death by a whisker on the fateful night of 26/11, recalls with horror how her young son was shot dead after serving a glass of water to gun-wielding Ajmal Kasab and wants the Pakistani terrorist hanged without delay.
“Why has Kasab been kept alive? He should not be shown any mercy and hanged without delay,” says an angry Jamuna as she waits for justice to be done to her family five days from now when the anti-terror court is to pronounce its verdict in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case.
“What has he (Kasab) gained from killing my son? Why they (terrorists) do all this? He killed my son for giving a glass of water?” asks a livid Jamuna fighting back tears.
According to police, Jamuna’s son Thakur Wagela (32), a sweeper at government-run GT Hospital in south Mumbai, was shot dead by Kasab at his hut located in a lane near Cama Hospital.
On November 26, 2008, Kasab and his accomplice Abu Ismail, along with eight others, came from Pakistan by sea and struck terror at various places including Taj Mahal Hotel, Nariman House, Oberoi hotel and CST terminus, killing 166 people and injuring many more.
Kasab fatally injured Thakur before walking into Cama Hospital where he exchanged fire with security personnel.
Later, outside the hospital he shot dead the then ATS chief Hemant Karkare, DIG Ashok Kamte and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar.
“At 10 pm, I was standing outside my house while my son and grandson were having dinner. Two persons (Kasab and Ismail) came dashing down the lane outside and one of them, later identified as Ajmal Kasab, stopped near my house when I asked him what he wanted,” recounted Jamuna.
“His associate immediately opened fire at me but luckily the bullets did not hit me. I hid behind a hut as Kasab walked up to my son and asked for water,” said Jamuna, whose husband Budhai (60) too is a sweeper at GT hospital.
“I could see my son offer Kasab a glass of water with trembling hands. The terrorist gulped it down and coolly shot at my son who slumped to the ground as I watched helplessly in horror,” she said clutching Thakur’s photo.
She, however, thanks God for the little mercy shown to her. “Kasab did not see my grandson or he would have got killed too.”
“The whole night I was not informed about my son’s death and told he was undergoing treatment. The next day, when I went to the hospital, I found him dead,” recalls Jamuna.
“My son’s innocent face still haunts me. I get up every night thinking somebody has broken into my house. I feel scared to even sit outside my house late in the evening,” she says.
Thakur has left behind his wife and three children.
Though his wife has been given a sweeper’s job at GT Hospital and a flat in Sion in central Mumbai by the state government their welfare is a source of constant worry, Jamuna added.
“Why has Kasab been kept alive? He should not be shown any mercy and hanged without delay,” says an angry Jamuna as she waits for justice to be done to her family five days from now when the anti-terror court is to pronounce its verdict in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case.
“What has he (Kasab) gained from killing my son? Why they (terrorists) do all this? He killed my son for giving a glass of water?” asks a livid Jamuna fighting back tears.
According to police, Jamuna’s son Thakur Wagela (32), a sweeper at government-run GT Hospital in south Mumbai, was shot dead by Kasab at his hut located in a lane near Cama Hospital.
On November 26, 2008, Kasab and his accomplice Abu Ismail, along with eight others, came from Pakistan by sea and struck terror at various places including Taj Mahal Hotel, Nariman House, Oberoi hotel and CST terminus, killing 166 people and injuring many more.
Kasab fatally injured Thakur before walking into Cama Hospital where he exchanged fire with security personnel.
Later, outside the hospital he shot dead the then ATS chief Hemant Karkare, DIG Ashok Kamte and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar.
“At 10 pm, I was standing outside my house while my son and grandson were having dinner. Two persons (Kasab and Ismail) came dashing down the lane outside and one of them, later identified as Ajmal Kasab, stopped near my house when I asked him what he wanted,” recounted Jamuna.
“His associate immediately opened fire at me but luckily the bullets did not hit me. I hid behind a hut as Kasab walked up to my son and asked for water,” said Jamuna, whose husband Budhai (60) too is a sweeper at GT hospital.
“I could see my son offer Kasab a glass of water with trembling hands. The terrorist gulped it down and coolly shot at my son who slumped to the ground as I watched helplessly in horror,” she said clutching Thakur’s photo.
She, however, thanks God for the little mercy shown to her. “Kasab did not see my grandson or he would have got killed too.”
“The whole night I was not informed about my son’s death and told he was undergoing treatment. The next day, when I went to the hospital, I found him dead,” recalls Jamuna.
“My son’s innocent face still haunts me. I get up every night thinking somebody has broken into my house. I feel scared to even sit outside my house late in the evening,” she says.
Thakur has left behind his wife and three children.
Though his wife has been given a sweeper’s job at GT Hospital and a flat in Sion in central Mumbai by the state government their welfare is a source of constant worry, Jamuna added.
Monday, April 26, 2010
No ruling out Manmohan, Gilani meeting during SAARC meet: Krishna
In a first official indication of a possible meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan here, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Monday said the bilateral meeting cannot be ruled out.
“I am not ruling it out,” Mr. Krishna said when asked if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani during his visit here for the SAARC summit to be held on April 28 to 29.
Observing that heads of states and governments are going to be under the same roof for the next couple of days for the multilateral meeting, the minister said there will be a number of bilateral meetings during the period.
“Lets wait and watch, how things are going to work out,” he said, adding “all bilateral issues between India and Pakistan will be discussed as and when the Prime Ministers meet“.
Asked about Pakistan’s request seeking the testimony of the Indian magistrates who recorded the confessional statement of Mumbai attack accused Ajmal Kasab, Mr. Krishna said he was yet to examine the matter.
Mr. Krishna said he has received the dossier containing the request late last night but he was yet to go through the same.
Maintaining that Kasab’s trial was in advanced stage in India, he said it was going on in full steam.
“We have to complete our legal formalities first and then we can examine Pakistan’s request for the same,” he said, adding, the matter will be examined in consultation with other ministries and departments.
The Pakistani side has made a request for three Indian officials, including two magistrates and an investigator, to be allowed to travel to Pakistan to testify that they had recorded Kasab’s statement.
A special court in Mumbai hearing the case of Kasab, the lone gunman captured alive by Indian authorities after the Mumbai siege of 2008, is expected to deliver its verdict on May 3.
Mr. Krishna arrived here for the 16th SAARC summit to be held on Wednesday and Thursday.
“I am not ruling it out,” Mr. Krishna said when asked if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani during his visit here for the SAARC summit to be held on April 28 to 29.
Observing that heads of states and governments are going to be under the same roof for the next couple of days for the multilateral meeting, the minister said there will be a number of bilateral meetings during the period.
“Lets wait and watch, how things are going to work out,” he said, adding “all bilateral issues between India and Pakistan will be discussed as and when the Prime Ministers meet“.
Asked about Pakistan’s request seeking the testimony of the Indian magistrates who recorded the confessional statement of Mumbai attack accused Ajmal Kasab, Mr. Krishna said he was yet to examine the matter.
Mr. Krishna said he has received the dossier containing the request late last night but he was yet to go through the same.
Maintaining that Kasab’s trial was in advanced stage in India, he said it was going on in full steam.
“We have to complete our legal formalities first and then we can examine Pakistan’s request for the same,” he said, adding, the matter will be examined in consultation with other ministries and departments.
The Pakistani side has made a request for three Indian officials, including two magistrates and an investigator, to be allowed to travel to Pakistan to testify that they had recorded Kasab’s statement.
A special court in Mumbai hearing the case of Kasab, the lone gunman captured alive by Indian authorities after the Mumbai siege of 2008, is expected to deliver its verdict on May 3.
Mr. Krishna arrived here for the 16th SAARC summit to be held on Wednesday and Thursday.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Pakistan to seek Red Corner Notices against Ajmal, Ansari
Pakistan has decided to approach Interpol — which facilitates cross-border police cooperation — to issue Red Corner Notices against Ajmal Kasab and Fahim Ansari, who are undergoing trial in India for their involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008.
This information was provided by the Special Prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to the anti-terrorism court that is conducting the trial of seven persons accused in the same attack. The seven undertrials here include Lashkar-e-Taiba operations chief Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi.
According to defence lawyer Malik Mohammad Rafiq Khan, the hearing was adjourned till April 17 when the prosecution will apprise the court of the progress and developments with regard to the Red Corner Notices.
During the day's proceedings in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi — where Judge Malik Mohammad Akram Awan is hearing the case because of security considerations — defence challenged the FIA Special Prosecutor's contention that Interpol was being approached to bring Kasab and Ansari to Pakistan.
The defence argument was that a Red Corner Notice was issued only for fugitives and in this case both Kasab and Ansari were in custody. Further, it would be possible for Pakistan to get Kasab and Ansari only if there was an extradition treaty between the two countries.
The FIA has decided to approach Interpol in view of the defence argument that Kasab's confessional statement could not be used against the seven accused in Pakistan.
The defence lawyers have been arguing that Kasab's confessional statement could be used only if he was being tried in the same court along with the seven others.
This information was provided by the Special Prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to the anti-terrorism court that is conducting the trial of seven persons accused in the same attack. The seven undertrials here include Lashkar-e-Taiba operations chief Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi.
According to defence lawyer Malik Mohammad Rafiq Khan, the hearing was adjourned till April 17 when the prosecution will apprise the court of the progress and developments with regard to the Red Corner Notices.
During the day's proceedings in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi — where Judge Malik Mohammad Akram Awan is hearing the case because of security considerations — defence challenged the FIA Special Prosecutor's contention that Interpol was being approached to bring Kasab and Ansari to Pakistan.
The defence argument was that a Red Corner Notice was issued only for fugitives and in this case both Kasab and Ansari were in custody. Further, it would be possible for Pakistan to get Kasab and Ansari only if there was an extradition treaty between the two countries.
The FIA has decided to approach Interpol in view of the defence argument that Kasab's confessional statement could not be used against the seven accused in Pakistan.
The defence lawyers have been arguing that Kasab's confessional statement could be used only if he was being tried in the same court along with the seven others.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
India willing to normalise ties with Pakistan: Krishna
India has indicated its willingness to normalise ties with Pakistan following indications that Islamabad is serious about prosecuting the masterminds of the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. The first step in this direction would be the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s end of the month visit to Rawalpindi to attend a meeting of SAARC Ministers where he could “get a chance to have useful exchanges” with Pakistani leaders in addition to the planned multilateral meetings, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told newspersons accompanying him for a visit to Kuwait.
Taking note of Pakistan’s readiness to accept the lone surviving gunman’s confessional statement as evidence to prosecute the planners of the Mumbai attacks and other evidence with respect to boats used to ferry the attackers from Karachi, Mr. Krishna said India interpreted these as constructive signals. “Any step forward in the direction of Pakistan also investigating the Mumbai attacks will certainly make it easier for India to carry our normalisation of business with Pakistan,” observed Mr. Krishna.
Asked whether India would move in the direction of reviving the composite dialogue if Pakistan continued to show resolve to bring to book its nationals involved in the Mumbai attacks, the Minister felt “India should be quite satisfied with Pakistan taking a few steps to investigate the Mumbai attacks”. He hoped Pakistan would continue to focus its attention on rooting out elements plotting violence in India and termed such an attitude as “extra helpful” to Indo-Pak bilateral relations and dialogue.
The External Affairs Minister had given indications of the possibility of a change in India’s position a day earlier when he said the “doors were not closed” to talks with Pakistan but it should continue to demonstrate its steadfastness to combating anti-India formations.
India had broken off all talks with Pakistan immediately after the Mumbai terror attacks but unlike the rift in bilateral ties after the Parliament House attacks in December 2001, it had not sundered people-to-people and trade links in the hope that the Pakistani leadership would also take the fight against terrorism to its eastern borders with India.
Taking note of Pakistan’s readiness to accept the lone surviving gunman’s confessional statement as evidence to prosecute the planners of the Mumbai attacks and other evidence with respect to boats used to ferry the attackers from Karachi, Mr. Krishna said India interpreted these as constructive signals. “Any step forward in the direction of Pakistan also investigating the Mumbai attacks will certainly make it easier for India to carry our normalisation of business with Pakistan,” observed Mr. Krishna.
Asked whether India would move in the direction of reviving the composite dialogue if Pakistan continued to show resolve to bring to book its nationals involved in the Mumbai attacks, the Minister felt “India should be quite satisfied with Pakistan taking a few steps to investigate the Mumbai attacks”. He hoped Pakistan would continue to focus its attention on rooting out elements plotting violence in India and termed such an attitude as “extra helpful” to Indo-Pak bilateral relations and dialogue.
The External Affairs Minister had given indications of the possibility of a change in India’s position a day earlier when he said the “doors were not closed” to talks with Pakistan but it should continue to demonstrate its steadfastness to combating anti-India formations.
India had broken off all talks with Pakistan immediately after the Mumbai terror attacks but unlike the rift in bilateral ties after the Parliament House attacks in December 2001, it had not sundered people-to-people and trade links in the hope that the Pakistani leadership would also take the fight against terrorism to its eastern borders with India.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Investigators put face to voice on Mumbai attack tapes
“Tell them this is just the trailer,” the Mumbai-accented Lashkar-e-Taiba controller ordered two terrorists to tell the media during the November 2008 assault on Mumbai. “The real movie is still to come.”
Based on interviews with arrested jihadists, and data provided by India’s intelligence services, Mumbai police investigators now believe the unidentified voice intercepted in the course of the assault is that of Maharashtra-origin jihadist Syed Zabiuddin Syed Zakiuddin Ansari.
Indian intelligence services say that Ansari, operating out of terror camps in Karachi and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, is a key figure in the jihadist group’s plan to realise the threat he ordered the assault team to deliver.
Ansari’s story helps to understand the Pakistan-based networks which remain the key security threat to India — and also to comprehend the role of Hindu chauvinism in watering the political soil, which gave birth to its jihadist movement.
Born on November 13, 1981, Ansari grew up in the town of Gevrai, in the midst of Beed district’s rich cotton and sugarcane fields. His father, Zakiuddin Ansari, worked as a small-time insurance agent, struggling to bring up five daughters — and his only son. Ansari studied at Gavarai’s Zilla Parishad-run High School up to standard X, and then acquired an electrician’s qualifications at the Indian Technical Institute in Beed. He was studying for a master’s at the Navgan Shikshan Sanstha College when he became a fugitive.
Little is known of the processes that led Ansari to the Lashkar, but it is likely that part of the answer lies in the communal violence which formed an organic part of the cultural fabric of his early life.
Following a wave a communal riots across Maharashtra in the summer of 1984, the Shiv Sena took control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and pushed forward communal mobilisations in rural areas. Umapur, not far from Gevrai, saw murderous anti-Muslim violence in 1986. Later, tensions surged after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. In 2001, a statue of the warrior-king Shivaji Raje Bhonsale was chipped by Shiv Sena activists in a near-successful effort to provoke communal riots.
Many young Muslims believed that the community’s traditional leadership had failed to defend it from assault. Some — including Ansari — turned to the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), for solutions.
Journey into Lashkar
“Islam is our nation, not India,” thundered Mohammad Amir Shakeel Ahmad at the SIMI’s 1999 convention in Aurangabad — a convention that saw the Maharashtra jihadists make their first known contacts with the Lashkar leadership.
No one is certain just when Ansari was drawn to the SIMI, but he is known to have been close to key Aurangabad-based members of the Islamist organisation — among them Ahmad — by the time the convention took place.
In 2001, Gujarat police investigators say, Ansari met with Khalid Sardana, a Jammu and Kashmir resident studying at a seminary in the State, to discuss the prospect of sending SIMI cadre there for weapons training. Later that year, Sardana took several of Aurangabad men to train with Lashkar units in the mountains of Surankote, near Poonch. At least one, Fahd Sheikh, is now known to have been killed in fighting with Indian troops in Hil Kaka.
The Gujarat police investigators believe that Ansari and Zulfikar Fayyaz Ahmad ‘Kagazi,’ who went to place a bomb on a Mumbai-Ahmedabad express train in February 2006, were also present at the meeting.
Last summer, when the Delhi police finally arrested Sardana after an intelligence-led pursuit through Pakistan and Bangladesh, he said several Maharashtra jihadists — including Ansari — continued to flit in and out of Lashkar-run camps near Muzaffarabad and Dulai, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Following the 2002 communal pogrom in Gujarat, these training operations intensified. Mumbai-based SIMI operative Rahil Sheikh, the investigators say, was tasked with securing passports and tickets for SIMI volunteers who travelled to Lashkar-run camps through the porous Iran-Pakistan border. Among the first to go, police say, was Ansari.
Communal pogrom
Most of Sheikh’s operatives were raised in the wake of the 2002 communal pogrom. Feroze Ghaswala, a Mumbai-based automobile mechanic, volunteered for the jihad after witnessing the burial of dozens of people killed in the violence.
Ghaswala travelled to Srinagar, hoping to meet jihadists at a religious gathering addressed by neoconservative preacher Zakir Naik in 2003. Instead, he ran into Sheikh — starting a journey which ended with his arrest in New Delhi.
Despite the collapse of the Ghaswala plot, Sheikh continued to work on operations to avenge the Gujarat pogrom. In 2005, he shipped Kalashnikov assault rifles and military-grade explosives into Aurangabad, using organised crime networks to transport the material across the Indian Ocean from Karachi.
Police say Ansari was to lead a group of Lashkar-trained Indian jihadists who would have used the equipment to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi — an operation that would have closely resembled the November 2008 attack on Mumbai in its tactics and execution.
Eleven SIMI-linked men were arrested after the intelligence services penetrated the plot — but Ansari evaded police in a high-speed chase, and escaped to Pakistan.
Besides the victims of his attacks, Ansari’s family paid a high price for his actions. Naved-ur-Rehman Khan, who had married Ansari’s sister Rafia Parveen, divorced her as news of the Aurangabad plot broke. “We had been together just three weeks,” he says, “but I didn’t want anything to do with this trouble.”
Fugitive emerges as 26/11 suspect
Mumbai police investigators say they may have succeeded in putting a face to an until-now-unidentified Indian Lashkar-e-Taiba operative who played a key role in guiding the operations of the team that attacked Mumbai in November 2008.
Based on information provided by India’s intelligence services, as well as interviews with arrested jihadists, the police believe the Indian national in the Lashkar’s control room could be Syed Zabiuddin Syed Zakiuddin Ansari, a Lashkar-linked Maharashtra resident who has been a fugitive since 2005.
The unidentified Indian operative was one of several Lashkar personnel who used voice-over-internet links to provide orders to the assault team. Last month, The Hindu had broken the news that one of the operatives in the Lashkar control station spoke Mumbai-inflected Hindi, in stark contrast to the Punjabi used by the others.
Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, the Lashkar terrorist arrested in the course of the assault, said his team had been trained by an Indian national identified as Abu Jindal — the alias also used by the unidentified controller, and a nom de guerre known to have been adopted by Ansari in the past.
The police say Ansari played a key role in a plot to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, an operation meant to avenge the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat. Ansari is alleged to have been the key leader of an Aurangabad-based Lashkar cell, which received assault rifles and military-grade explosives from Pakistan to stage an attack which would have closely resembled the Mumbai operation in tactics and execution.
Eleven men linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Students Islamic Movement of India were held for their alleged role in the 2005 Aurangabad-based plot. However, Ansari eluded the police after a high-speed car chase and has been sought by Interpol since then. He was last sighted at a Lashkar safe house in Karachi by Hyderabad-based jihadist Mohammad Amjad Khwaja, who was arrested earlier this year.
Imran Babar, one of the two terrorists who took hostages at the Chabad House Jewish prayer centre, was told by the Hindi-speaking controller to call the media with a manifesto to condemn what he described as the Indian government’s “two-faced policy” towards Muslims.
The Lashkar manifesto demanded that Muslims held in jails be released; the Indian Army be pulled out of Jammu and Kashmir; the land on which the Babri Masjid stood be returned to Muslims and a new mosque constructed; India break off its alliance with Israel; and what the organisation called “Muslim states be handed back to the Muslims.”
Monday, January 18, 2010
All terrorists who stormed Taj Hotel were Indians: Kasab
Continuing his flip-flop, Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab on Monday told a special court trying the 26/11 attacks case that all the four terrorists who stormed Taj hotel were Indians.
Kasab, whose statement is being recorded by the court on evidences adduced by the prosecution, told Special Judge M.L. Tahaliyani that while one of the terrorists of the Taj hotel siege was a Kashmiri, another was from Gujarat.
Kasab claimed the third terrorist at Taj was Abu Ismail from Mumbai. According to prosecution, Ismail was gunned down at Girgaum Chowpatty by the police in an encounter when he along with Kasab was trying to escape. He, however, did not elaborate on the identity of the fourth terrorist at the Taj.
The Pakistani terrorist has been making conflicting statements in the court.
While at one point Kasab confessed to his guilt and admitted having shot people at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus along with Abu Ismail before being captured at Girgaum Chowpatty, he later denied any involvement in the terror strikes.
Kasab's claim came when Judge Tahaliyani wanted to know if he had anything to say about the slain terrorists who had been identified by eyewitnesses.
When the Judge asked how he knew that Abu Ismail was from Mumbai, Kasab said, “I can make out from his face.”
After having initially confessed to his guilt, Kasab had recently denied involvement and told the court that he had come to India from Pakistan by Samjhauta Express several days before the 26/11 carnage and was picked up from Girgaum Chowpatty by police a day before the terror attacks.
Later, speaking to reporters outside the court, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam described Kasab's claim as “absurd and concocted.”
“Kasab's claim is absurd and concocted. He has been taking frequent U-turns and this is one of those. This will in no way weaken the prosecution's case against him," Mr. Nikam said.
