Kasab identifies Jundal as 26/11 handler

Mumbai, 10 Aug 2012: Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only 26/11 terrorist taken alive, on Thursday recognised Zabiuddin Ansari, alias Abu Jundal, as being his trainer and ’one of the main players’ in the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that left 166 people dead, including policemen.

 

Kasab and Jundal were brought face to face with each other at a special lockup at the Mumbai crime branch headquarters after the state home department granted the crime branch permission to do so.

 

Jundal was taken to the high-security jail at Arthur Road Jail, where Kasab is lodged in a bombproof egg-shaped cell since 2008

 

“Kasab recognised Jundal by his alias, and said that this was the same man who had trained all the 10 terrorists in Hindi. Jundal was also the one who accompanied them to Pakistani shores, from where they embarked on their mission. Kasab further said that he was under the impression that Jundal was an Indian,” said a senior crime branch officer.

 

The two — Ajmal Amir Kasab and Abu Jundal — were brought face to face and interrogated between 6 pm and 7.30 pm on Thursday. Earlier on Thursday the home department granted the crime branch permission to interrogate Ajmal Kasab based on the revelations and claims made by Abu Jundal.

 

Crime branch has custody of Jundal till August 13. “Based on Kasab’s revelations, the crime branch will press for further custody of Jundal,” the source said.

 

Police had decided to confront the two after Jundal, one of the handlers of the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack, made some revelations during interrogation about training imparted to terrorists in Pakistan.

 

According to crime branch sources, Jundal has also admitted having taught the Hindi language to 10 terrorists before they carried out the 26/11 terror raids. Jundal has told interrogators that along with the top LeT commanders, he too had seen off the 10 operatives from the Pakistani shore.

 

“The confrontation was necessary to strengthen our case against Jundal and to corroborate claims he made during interrogation,” said the source.

 

Jundal was allegedly in contact with two terrorists during the siege of Chabad House, a Jewish outreach centre, during the Mumbai attack of November 26, 2008.

 

He has also said he had met American Lashkar-e-Tayyaba operative David Headley, a co-accused in the 26/11 attacks.

 

Syed Zabiuddin Ansari, alias Abu Jundal, 31, a native of Beed district of Maharashtra, was arrested in the 26/11 case on July 21 this year by Mumbai Police after he was brought here from Delhi where he had been apprehended in another case after being deported from Saudi Arabia in June this year.

 

Though Kasab’s claimed admission of Jundal’s role will strengthen India’s case that attacks were planned in Pakistan, it remains to be seen if the neighbouring country would give enough weightage while prosecuting the conspirators arrested there.

 

Pakistan has already sought permission for a second visit by a judicial commission to India, with a court in that country saying the proceedings of the previous visit by the panel could not be used as evidence as it was not allowed to cross-examine Indian witnesses.