26/11 Mumbai attacks: Trial and related developments

Ray

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Terrorist require to be dealt with the maximum punishment.

Nationality and religion is no criterion!
 

Pintu

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3 witnesses identify Kasab, court takes on record CCTV footage- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

3 witnesses identify Kasab, court takes on record CCTV footage

17 Jun 2009, 0648 hrs IST, PTI

MUMBAI: Two policemen and a railway announcer today identified Ajmal Kasab as one of the gunmen who struck terror at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus on November 26 even as the trial court accepted on record CCTV footage of the attack.

A CD, showing CCTV footage of Kasab and slain terrorist Abu Ismail gunning down people at CST on the day of terror attack, was submitted by prosecution to judge M L Tahaliyani.

The footage would be screened in the special court on June 18 in presence of advocates and media personnel, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.

The film captures every moment of the attack when the two Lashker-e-Taiba suspects fired indiscriminately at people in the main hall of the local line section.

The 1.15 hour-film covers the incidents that occurred between 2130 hours and 2245 hours on November 26. It is during this period that Kasab and his accomplice killed over 50 people and injured nearly 90.

Earlier, prosecution produced still photographs of the terror attack at CST which were taken by a photojournalist. Both still photographs and CCTV are considered important evidence as they would corroborate version given by eye witnesses, Nikam said.

Railway announcer Vishnu Zende, who was shot at while alerting passengers about the CST attack, also identified Kasab as one of the attackers.

Zende is considered an important witness because it was due to his alert on the public address system that passengers of local trains exited from rear entrance instead of coming to the CST main entrance. Had he not used his presence of mind, the casualties could have been more, Nikam said.

Before Zende could identify the accused, Kasab was sitting in the dock with his head down. Seeing Kasab sitting with his head low, judge Tahaliyani said, "If you put your head down the witness will not be able to look at you and identify you. You should look at witness."

Following the court's instruction, he looked at the witness who identified him promptly.

Zende, who was rewarded by authorities after the terror strikes, told the court that on the night of November 26 he was making announcements from his elevated glass cabin from where he could see the platforms.

He said he heard explosions from the main side of CST and saw passengers running to suburban side. "I alerted GRP and RPF to go towards the main side", he said.

After some time, he saw two gunmen firing at people in the suburban section and he alerted passengers to exit from rear entrance. They too fired at him but he ducked and his colleague switched off lights. At this moment, a bullet passed through his office cabin but no one was hurt.
 

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CCTV footage of CST attack to be screened in court - India - The Times of India

CCTV footage of CST attack to be screened in court

17 Jun 2009, 1802 hrs IST, PTI

MUMBAI: Close circuit television (CCTV) footage of terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail gunning down people at CST on November 26 last year will be screened in the special court on Thursday.

The CCTV footage would be screened in the presence of advocates and media personnel, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.

This is for the first time that a CCTV footage of place of offence is being screened in the special court. The CCTV footage will be shown on a big screen and for this purpose a generator and speakers have been requisitioned.

The film captures every moment of the terror attack when the two Lashkar-e-Toiba suspects fired indiscriminately at people in the main hall of the local line section.

The duration of the film is about one hour and fifteen minutes and it would cover the incidents that occurred between 2130 hours and 2245 hours on November 26. It is during this period that Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist, and his accomplice killed more than 50 people and injured close to 90.

Earlier, prosecution has produced still photographs of the terror attack at CST which were captured by a photojournalist. Both still photographs and CCTV footage are considered important evidence as they would corroborate version given by eye witnesses, Nikam said.
 

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Railway announcer who saved over 1,000 lives identifies Kasab in court

Railway announcer who saved over 1,000 lives identifies Kasab in court

Posted: Wednesday, Jun 17, 2009 at 0154 hrs IST

Mumbai: Thanks to his alertness and presence of mind, over 1,000 lives were saved from the indiscriminate firing opened by arrested terrorist Ajmal Kasab and his partner Abu Ismail Khan at Chattrapathi Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station on 26/11 last year.

Railway announcer Vishnu Zende, posted at the CST since 2003, was working in the suburban section on a mezzanine floor on the day. Deposing before the court on Tuesday, he said, “Hearing a loud explosion in the main line hall, I started announcing that passengers from the local line hall should not proceed towards the mail line hall and they should exit through the rear gate of the station or wait inside the trains.”

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said, “Had it not been for his prompt announcement, the death toll would have been high.”

“At any given time, around 800 to 1,000 passengers alight from a train and there were some three-four trains scheduled to arrive in different platforms. So I alerted the policemen and passengers,” Zende said.

He also identified Kasab as one of the terrorists who had fired at his office before leaving the local line hall.

The prosecution also examined Poonam Singh, another witness who was shot in her legs by the terrorists while she was waiting for a train to Lakhimpur along with his six-year-old son Sachin. Singh told the court that she also heard a loud sound when she was sitting with his son on the platform. Her father and brother had gone to get tickets. Sachin started running when the attackers opened fire; Singh also followed him to a safe place, but a bullet hit her.

Pandurang Patil, an assistant sub inspector posted at CST and who suffered injuries in his leg in the firing, was also examined on Tuesday. Railway Police Force (RPF) inspector Sandeep Keratkar also deposed that he had fired 20 rounds on the two terrorists, but none hit them. He also identified Kasab as the person who had attacked them.

The prosecution has till now examined 66 witnesses.

Notes from The courtroom
Backrest
After much persuasion, the mediapersons reporting the trial finally got benches with backrest. The chairs provided on the first day of the trial were withdrawn and wooden benches provided after many reporters complained to the court that they were not being accommodated. The reporters later complained that they were getting a backache, sitting on benches without backrests.

'Naradmuni'
It was a day of fierce argument between lawyers. At one point, when special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam commented that lawyer Abbas Kazmi was taking too long to cross-examine the witness. Kazmi retorted that Nikam was acting like 'Naradmuni', by instigating a fight. To this, Judge Tahaliyani said, "The fight is between you and Nikam. If a third party has instigated it, that means I am the Naradmuni. Kazmi then said, "No sir, you are the God of this court."
 

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26/11 court issues warrants against 22 Pakistanis

26/11 court issues warrants against 22 Pakistanis
23 Jun 2009, 1503 hrs IST, IANS


MUMBAI: A special court here on Tuesday issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against 22 absconding Pakistanis wanted in connection with the 26/11
terrorist attacks.

Accepting a plea by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, Special Judge M L Tahilyani paased the order this afternoon.

Only one Pakistani citizen, Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab, is currently in custody and undergoing trial for his role in the 26/11 attacks. His nine accomplices were gunned down during the 60-hour operations by the combined security forces during November 26-28 last year.

However, investigations by various Indian agencies, Kasab's confession and intelligence inputs have pointed to the involvement of the Pakstan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the mayhem that claimed more than 170 lives.

The 11,500-plus-page charge sheet filed by Mumbai Police in the 26/11 case also named 35 wanted accused, including LeT commanders Zarar Shah, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi among others.

Nikam had on Monday urged that the court should issue NBWs since the addresses of 27 of the 35 wanted accused were available with the Indian government.

26/11 court issues warrants against 22 Pakistanis - India - The Times of India
 

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Pak to send more queries to India on Mumbai attacks - India - The Times of India

Pak to send more queries to India on Mumbai attacks
23 Jun 2009, 2301 hrs IST, PTI

ISLAMABAD: Asking India to reciprocate "positively" to its probe into the Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistan on Tuesday said it will send more queries to New Delhi seeking additional information on the 26/11 strikes blamed on the LeT in order to move forward its investigation.

"In order to proceed further (in the probe into the Mumbai attacks), we will send more queries to India in this regard," interior minister Rehman Malik told reporters outside Parliament.

The Pakistan government is ready to extend "unconditional cooperation" to India to investigate the Mumbai attacks, he said.

"However, India would have to reciprocate our efforts by adopting a positive stance." India initially provided the confessional statement of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist captured during the attacks, in Marathi and this held up the probe, Malik said. The translated version of the statement was subsequently provided by New Delhi and authorities are examining it.

Meanwhile, 'Dawn' newspaper quoted its sources in the interior ministry as claiming that last year's Mumbai attacks and the 2007 bombing of the Samjhauta Express train were linked.

This was one of the reasons why Pakistan would send another dossier to India seeking more information about the Mumbai attacks, the sources claimed.
 

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http://sify.com/news/international/...o_hand_over_26/11_suspects_to_India:_Minister

IANS

Pakistan not to hand over 26/11 suspects to India: Minister

2009-06-24 15:50:00

Pakistan said Wednesday it would not hand over to India its citizens suspected of causing the 26/11 mayhem but would try them under its own laws.

'No Pakistani would be handed over to any other country including India,' Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Amad Ahmed Khan said during the debate in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, on the budget for fiscal 2009-10, Online news agency reported.

The enquiry into the carnage would be held in accordance with Pakistani laws in the light of the proof provided by India, he said, adding that this country's soil would not be permitted to be used for launching terrorist attacks.

'Pakistan wants cordial relations with its neighbouring countries to be based on equality. The government is trying to highlight the image of the country as a moderate Islamic state among the comity of nations,' Khan maintained.

The remarks come a day after a special court in Mumbai ordered non-bailable arrest warrants against 22 people who are believed to be in Pakistan and are wanted for suspected involvement the Nov 26-29, 2008 carnage that claimed over 170 lives.

The suspects include Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Sayeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) head of operations Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi.

Special Judge M.L. Tahilyani, who is conducting the 26/11 case hearings, directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to initiate the process of issuing the non-bailable warrants (NBWs) through Interpol.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had Monday submitted a list of the absconding accused before the special court and said that since the addresses of 22 of the 35 absconders were available, NBWs should be issued against them.

The prosecution had sought the NBWs nearly three months ago but the court had then asked it to provide the complete addresses of the accused, a majority of them believed to be in Pakistan.

Nikam made a fresh plea after receiving the addresses of 27 accused absconders from the central government.

Currently, only one Pakistani citizen, Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab, is in custody and undergoing trial for his role in the 26/11 attacks.

His nine accomplices, all from Pakistan, were gunned down during the 60-hour anti-terror operations by the combined security forces.

Hafiz Sayeed, considered one of the masterminds of the 26/11 attacks, had been put under house arrest in December 2008 but released June 2 by a Lahore court for want of evidence.

The other accused absconders against whom NBWs are sought include: Abu Hamza, Abu Al Kama alias Amjid, Abu Kaahfa, Muzammil alias Yusuf, Zarar Shah, Abu Fahadullah, Abu Abdul Rehman, Abu Anas, Abu Bashir, Abu Imran, Abu Mufti Saeed, Abu Umar Saeed, Mohammed Ishfaq, Javed Iqbal, Sajid Iftikhar, Khurram Shahdad, Abu Abdur Rehman, Abu Mavia and Abu Hanzla Pathan.

The NBW is sought to be issued also against a Pakistan army officer identified as Col. R. Sadatullah.
 

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'No request from India, Interpol on 26/11 suspects'

Islamabad, June 25: Pakistan on Thursday said it has not received a formal request from India or Interpol to hand over 22 suspects in the Mumbai terror attacks even as it insisted it will take action against its nationals on its own soil.

Islamabad's reaction came two days after a Mumbai court issued non-bailable warrants against 22 Pakistanis, including JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed and LeT's operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said that Islamabad has not received any official request from Interpol or India in connection with the arrest warrants issued for 22 Pakistani nationals by a special court in Mumbai.

However, "I will not comment on their (Indian) legal process. We will follow our own procedure," he said.

Mumbai Special Court judge M L Tahaliyani issued the warrants on Tuesday after prosecution alleged the 22 suspects had trained Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist capture alive during the attacks, and nine others in Pakistan.

The warrants would be sent to the Interpol which will issue red corner notices to member countries and flash them all over to trace the absconders, public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had said in Mumbai.

Asked about the Mumbai court's warrants, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik separately made it clear that Islamabad would not hand over "any individual to India" simply on the basis of such warrants.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Amad Khan also said that "no Pakistani national would be handed over" to India.

He said Pakistan would bring people involved in the Mumbai attacks "to justice but in our own country" provided India gave more evidence on the terror strikes.

Meanwhile, replying to a question on Indian national Sarabjit Singh whose appeal against his death sentence has been dismissed by the Pakistan Supreme Court, Foreign Office spokesman Basit told a weekly news briefing that he was "not aware" of the government considering any proposal for clemency for him.

Sarabjit was sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court in 1991 for his alleged involvement in four bomb blasts in Pakistan in 1990 that had claimed 14 lives
`No request received from India, Interpol on 26/11 suspects`
 

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Mumbai attacks: Pak says will proceed in accordance with law

Islamabad, June 26: Pakistan will proceed according to its own laws in taking action against persons arrested in connection with last year's Mumbai terrorist attacks, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Friday.

He made the comment while responding to a request from his Indian counterpart S M Krishna for Pakistan to expedite action against the accused in the Mumbai attacks. Qureshi "assured that Pakistan would proceed in accordance with its law", said a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

Krishna and Qureshi met in Trieste on the sidelines of G-8 outreach meeting on Afghanistan. Describing the meeting between the two ministers as "cordial", the statement said Qureshi "expressed the need for constructive engagement and sustained dialogue to address common challenges and to resolve outstanding issues, irritants and disputes".

Qureshi included the "problems of water, menace of regional and global terrorism and the unresolved dispute of Jammu and Kashmir" among the outstanding issues and irritants.

He said the "process of dialogue between the leadership of the two countries will continue with the meeting between the Prime Ministers in Sharm el-Sheikh" on the sidelines of the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement summit.

The ministers noted that the Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India are likely to meet shortly and report back on their discussions to them.

They recalled the meeting in Yekaterinburg between Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on June 16 and Qureshi "underlined Pakistan's desire for normal and good neighbourly relations with India".

Krishna reciprocated the sentiment by stating that India too "had very positive sentiments for Pakistan", the statement said.

Speaking to a TV news channel, Qureshi termed his meeting with Krishna as positive. Qureshi said he and Krishna discussed all issues in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. It was agreed during the meeting that negotiations were the only way to move forward, he added.

It would be beneficial for the region if Pakistan and India moved forward on resolving the Kashmir issue, differences on sharing of river waters and other matters through negotiations, he said.

"I am hopeful that both countries will soon start the composite dialogue as it is the only sensible way to move forward," Qureshi said in response to a question.


Mumbai attacks: Pak says will proceed in accordance with law
 

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Mumbai cops reject BBC report
29 Jun 2009, 0038 hrs IST, TIMES NEWS NETWORK & AGENCIES


Richard Watson, a BBC correspondent who carried out an investigation into the 26/11 attack, countered the Mumbai police’s view that the terrorist leaders were able to pinpoint precise police positions by carefully monitoring live television coverage of the attacks.

"These instructions seem remarkably precise for that. I know the kind of live shots used in these situations and they would be unlikely to yield that kind of detail. It is far more likely that they had spotters on the ground, who were feeding back information to their leaders about the police movements. If this is true, then it means an LeT cell in Mumbai played a crucial role in the attacks which is still undiscovered,’’ wrote Watson, admitting that the possibility of local Muslim involvement would be politically damaging for India.

The view was rejected by additional commissioner of police Deven Bharti, who, asked if there were ‘‘logisticians’’ who were yet to be caught, told Watson: “No, I don’t think so.”

‘‘This investigation has reached a logical conclusion and we have verified and cross-checked each and every fact available to us. This was a totally independent module of 10 terrorists who were launched from the territorial limits of Pakistan like a commando group,’’ Bharti said.

Watson wrote that in other disturbing telephone calls, a terrorist leader cynically consoles the Rabbi’s wife in Nariman House suggesting she will live to celebrate the Sabbath if she cooperates by passing on demands to the Israeli consulate. Hours later, he gave the order for their murder.

Mumbai cops reject BBC report - India - The Times of India
 

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The way these terrorist scum has killed people in Mumbai was very chilling.
 

Known_Unknown

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It seems like the entire operation was actually run by their handlers in Pak. Without them, these terrorists seemed like lost boys in the woods. Why didn't the intelligence agencies jam all cell phone communications in that area? The security agencies could still have communicated with each other using their radio sets.
 

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It seems like the entire operation was actually run by their handlers in Pak. Without them, these terrorists seemed like lost boys in the woods. Why didn't the intelligence agencies jam all cell phone communications in that area? The security agencies could still have communicated with each other using their radio sets.
I think everything that was happening around was new to the police and the entire country and they didn't know what to do and what not to. Moreover, a lot of people were trapped in the hotels who were able to talk to outside world giving some hope of them coming out unscathed. And I'm not sure, the security forces were aware of whether the terrorists were being handled through phones. Most of this evidence (transcripts and GPS coordinates of their travel etc) was actually unearthed with the extensive help from Americans.

I hope that the security forces and GoI has learnt their lessons about urban warfare and how to handle such cases in the future.
 

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