Kasab’s statement poses challenge to prosecution

PTI

Mumbai, 07 March 2010: The stand taken by lone surviving Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab that he is not a terrorist and was being framed by police in the 26/11 terror attack case would pose a big challenge to the prosecution in final arguments slated to begin on March 9 in a special court here. 

While Kasab’s lawyer K P Pawar would focus arguments on this aspect, the prosecution led by Ujjwal Nikam would have to disprove Kasab’s statement in the court that he had come from Pakistan by Samjhauta Express as a tourist to Delhi and from there arrived in Mumbai few days before the attacks.

Special Public Prosecutor Nikam would also have to demolish Kasab’s claims that he was not injured in police encounter and that the injury sustained by him in hand was inflicted by police to implicate him in the crime.

The prosecution’s case is that Kasab had sailed from Karachi along with nine terrorists in a boat and midway they hijacked Indian fishing trawler Kuber by which they arrived near Mumbai coast. They were carrying a dingy (rubber boat) with the help of which they landed on the shores of the city.

After landing in Mumbai the terrorists, in pairs of two and four, fanned out to different areas and shot at people in Hotel Taj, Hotel Trident, Leopold Cafe, Nariman House, CST and Cama hospital, killing 166 persons and injuring many others.

Kasab has disputed prosecution’s charge that he and other terrorists had opened fire with AK-47 rifles and told the court that he had never seen such a weapon.