FBI and foreign experts will depose in 26/11 terror case

Mumbai, Apr 18(PTI) Foreign experts, including members of
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), would be examined by
the prosecution to throw light on Global Positioning System
(GPS) equipment and cell phones used by Mohammed Amir Ajmal
Kasab and nine others to strike terror last year.

Disclosing to the court the evidence gathered against
Kasab, the lone terrorist captured during the November 26
terror strikes, and other accused, special public prosecutor
Ujjwal Nikam said Saturday 100 potential witness from a list
of 1,820 would be examined to establish the role of the
accused in the crime.

Of these, 37 would be eye witnesses who had seen Kasab
and others firing indiscriminately at people in a hospital,
railway terminus, five star hotels and public places, he told
judge M L Tahilyani.

Nikam said Kasab and his team member Abu Ismail had plans
to strike VIP locality Malabar Hill area (where bungalows
of Governor, Chief Minister and other important Maharashtra
Ministers are located). But only Ismail knew of the plan and
he was killed in a police encounter.

Ismail had told Kasab that he will reveal the plan about
Malabar Hill after reaching there but before they could
reach their destination, a police team intercepted their car
and Ismail was killed in police firing, the prosecutor said.

"Remember the terror face then and look at the gloomy
face now", said Nikam while referring to Kasab's photograph in
a newspaper which was secretly taken by a photo journalist as
he was firing indiscriminately near CST.

In Pakistan, the accused were well trained in handling
AK-47 rifles, planting RDX bombs, using rocket launchers, GPS,
satellite phones and latest electronic gadgets.

"They were even taught to mislead investigators if
they were caught and that is what Kasab was trying to do now
by claiming that he is a juvenile, the prosecutor said.

Nikam gave a detailed account of 12 FIRs registered in
this case. In seven cases, Kasab was directly involved. These
included murder of crew members of marine vessel "Kuber", CST
firing, taxi bomb explosion at Vile Parle, Cama Hospital,
killing of police officers near Cama Hospital, theft of Skoda
car and firing at police team at Girgaum Chowpatty.

He said the prosecution would divide the evidence into
two parts --- one to throw light on the nexus between Kasab
and other accused and the other to focus on nexus between
Kasab, killed terrorists and absconding accused.

The prosecutor said the accused had reached Mumbai by
marine vessel "Kuber" and DNA samples of 135 articles seized
from this boat had been matched with DNA profiles of Kasab and
other accused. These samples would be tabled as evidence
before the court. PTI