Inquiry ordered to determine Kasab's age

Mumbai, Apr 24 (PTI) A special court Friday ordered an
inquiry to determine whether the prime accused in Mumbai
terror attacks case Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab is a juvenile.

Judge M L Tahiliyani allowed special public prosecutor
Ujjwal Nikam to examine witnesses comprising doctors and
jailor on April 28 to find out whether Kasab was above 18 and
not juvenile at the time of commission of offence.

The court also ordered jail authorities to take Kasab
for ossification test and dental test to determine his age.

The radiologist and dentist who will conduct the test
have been asked to submit a report on or before April 28.

Kasab will be taken for these tests under heavy security,
his lawyer Abbas Kazmi told reporters here.

If the inquiry establishes that Kasab is juvenile, then
the case will be transfered to the juvenile court.

The maximum punishment prescribed under Juvenile Justice
Act is maximum three years, Kazmi said.

The court ordered the inquiry after the prosecutor Nikam
moved an application urging that the age of the accused may be
determined before the charges are framed against him.

Earlier, Kasab had himself pleaded that he was juvenile
and that the case should be transfered to Juvenile Justice
Court but the court had turned down his plea and opined that
he did not appear to be juvenile and if the court feels that
anytime during trial that the inquiry should be held to
determine his age it would do so. PTI SVS
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