Court takes Kasab`s guilty plea on record; trial to continue

Mumbai, July 23 (PTI) A special court conducting the
26/11 terror attack trial on Thursday took on record the plea
of guilt made by arrested Pakistani gunman Mohammad Ajmal
Kasab and ordered the case to continue.

Special Judge M L Tahilyani in his speaking order
said the court has come to a conclusion that Kasab's statement
should be taken on record and considered at an appropriate
stage as evidence.

The court instructed the prosecution to continue with
the trial and produce witnesses in the afternoon session.

In a dramatic development, Kasab had pleaded guilty on
July 20 and admitted his guilt regarding his involvement in
terror strikes at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and other
locations.

The judge, explaining his decision to Kasab said, "Aap
ke khilaaf 86 charges frame kiye the. Apne sab nahin kabule
hain, lekin gunaah kabool kiya hai. Isiliye court ne decision
liya hai ki yeh case chalega. (There were 86 charges framed
against you. You have not pleaded guilty to all of them and
only to the basic offence. That is why the court has taken the
decision to continue with the trial)."

Kasab did not react to the court's order and said,
"Theek hai. (All right)."

"The prosecution's stance is totally vindicated by the
order of the court," special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam
told reporters outside the court.

"The court has accepted that he did not accept guilt
for the entire incident and did not admit to all the charges.
The court has said that his admission of the guilt can be
taken on record and will be considered at a later stage,"
Nikam said.

The prosecution had argued on Wednesday that Kasab's
admission of guilt be taken on record but the trial should be
allowed to continue since the gunman had not admitted to his
guilt in all the offences in which he was involved.

Nikam had sought that the trial be allowed to continue
and the prosecution be allowed to use the confession made in
open court when it wanted to do so.

However, defence lawyer Abbas Kazmi had argued that
Kasab should be sentenced if his plea was accepted. Else, the
court should reject it and not take the statement on record at
all. PTI