High security around special court ahead of Kasab trial

Mumbai, Apr 15 (PTI) A thick security blanket has been
thrown in and around a special court where the trial of
Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman in the 26/11
Mumbai terror attack case, and two other accused is likely to
begin Wednesday.

As many as 500 police personnel were deployed on the road
leading to the special court set up inside Arthur Road Jail in
central Mumbai. One side of the road was closed to traffic.
Security personnel in plainclothes were seen moving around the
court.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel, who are also
guarding Kasab in the jail, patrolled around the area near the
court premises.

Media persons were checked multiple times prior to
entering the court and were not allowed to carry anything on
their person, including notepads and pens.

A separate enclosure has been created for media vehicles
some distance away from the court. No vehicle parking was
allowed anywhere around the court.

A special vehicle obtained by the Mumbai Police to scan
for explosives has also been pressed into service around the
court.

Police personnel, on duty since 6 am IST, were seen
sending away curious onlookers and pedestrians who stopped by
to see the security convoys of special judge M L Tahilyani and
public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam entering the court.

Police have issued passes for media persons, guards and
lawyers for their entry into the court.

Special security arrangement has also been made inside
the court. A bomb-proof passage has been created to transport
Kasab from his prison cell to the special court.

Besides Kasab, two other arrested accused in the terror
attack case, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, are facing
trial.

Kasab would appear in person for the first time before
the court. Earlier, he had appeared in the court through video
conference.

The special court is also expected to decide on an
application challenging the appointment of advocate Anjali
Waghmare to represent Kasab in the case. The application has
been filed by an advocate, K N Lam.

Waghmare, appointed by the court to defend Kasab, is
mired in a controversy which seems to put her in a tight spot
in the wake of allegations that she had first accepted brief
of a witness in this case before deciding to defend the
Pakistani national. PTI