Kasab continues confession, 26/11 trial adjourned to Wednesday

Mumbai, July 21 (PTI) Ajmal Kasab Tuesday said his
mandate was to open fire indiscriminately at CST and take
people "hostage" on the upper floor, as the special judge for
the Mumbai attack trial weighed three options on how to treat
the confession of the lone surviving gunman pleading guilty.

Special Judge M L Tahilyani deferred a decision on
Kasab's dramatic confession Monday admitting to his
involvement in the terror attack and seeking a quick verdict.
The judge adjourned the proceedings till Wednesday after the
prosecution sought time to file its reply.

Continuing his statement, 22-year-old Kasab said he
and his slain partner Abu Ismail were directed to start firing
indiscriminately at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal(CST, take
hostages and attack policemen trying to rescue the victims.

"Humko kaha gaya tha ki CST main logon ko bandhi
banana hai aur unko pehle male pe leke jaana hai..(We were
told to take hostages at CST and take them to the first
floor)," Kasab told the court.

The judge said Kasab's statement before the court was
"broadly speaking not a confession" but an admission of guilt.

The court would need to verify whether Kasab was
genuinely pleading his guilt as there were many charges
against him, the judge said, adding, the court could then
accept his statement, reject it or accept the plea and
continue with the trial.

Nikam and Kasab's lawyer Abbas Kazmi said the court
had three options. Kazmi said the statement of the Pakistani
national -- who faces the death penalty if convicted -- was
not a confession but an admission of a guilt.

"The first option is for the court to accept Kasab's
plea and convict him. The second option is for the court to
not accept the confession and the third is for the court to
accept the confession but direct for the trial to go on,"
Nikam told reporters.

Kasab added some additional statements but the judge
prohibited the media from publishing those statements after
observing that it could affect the communal harmony of the
country.

Nikam told the court that the prosecution has not
finished producing all its evidence and could choose to
produce all of it despite Kasab's decision to plead guilty as
his confession may not be enough evidence against him.

Kasab also said that he wanted to send a message to
some persons but when the court asked him if it was related to
the confession, the gunman replied in the negative.

The court then refused to take it on record in the
confession.

Nikam told reporters outside the court that he would
be having a meeting with senior police officers after which
they would decide on the reply to be filed Wednesday.

Kasab had surprised and shocked everyone Monday by
admitting his guilt and confessing before the court.

Kasab had described his journey from Karachi in
Pakistan to Mumbai, the attack in CST and Cama hospital and
the police encounter at Girgaum Chowpatty in south Mumbai.
PTI AG
pmr
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