Kasab had fired at Ombale, ballistic expert tells court

Mumbai, Aug 24 (PTI) Rejecting the claim by Mohammad
Kasab, the lone surviving perpetrator of the Mumbai terror
attack last November, that he had not fired at any police
officer, a ballistic expert Monday told the special court that
two of the bullets recovered from the body of a slain police
constable matched Kasab's AK-47 rifle.

"The two bullets found lodged in Tukaram Ombale's body
tallied with Kasab's rifle," the expert Vasudev Patil told the
court.

Patil also told the court that a total of eight bullets
recovered from the bodies of eight persons -- both dead and
injured in the attack at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST),
were fired from Kasab's rifle.

Kasab had earlier in July, while admitting to his role in
the attacks, told the court that he had not fired a single
shot from his rifle at Chowpatty in south Mumbai during the
encounter with the police.

Ombale was killed in the encounter.

Kasab had then told the court that his rifle was snatched
by the police officials and he was assaulted with lathis even
as his partner and slain terrorist Abu Ismail kept firing.

"The ballistic expert's deposition has proved Kasab
completely wrong. This shows how he has been lying to the
court and how he has been suppressing several facts," special
public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told PTI.

The expert also said the 64 empty shells found at CST and
eight empty shells recovered from Chowpatty also matched
Kasab's rifle. PTI