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“Mein apne aap ko nirdosh nahin batata hoon. Meri guzaarish hai ki mujhe turant saza sunai jaye. Mere trial ko khatam kar do sir. Mujhe bilkul confess karna tha. Jo kaha hai, woh kisi ke dabaav mein nahin bola hai. Apni marzi se bayaan de raha hoon. Mere confession ko record kar do (I am not saying I am innocent. I am requesting the court to deliver its judgment immediately. Sir, please conclude my trial with this confession. I am not acting under duress and I am confessing completely willingly. Please record my confession),” Kasab said.
Through the day’s court proceedings, a calm and composed Kasab, 21, clinically narrated his journey from a decorator in a small shop in Pakistan’s Jhelum district to a Lashkar jehadi who ended up becoming the face of the unprecedented attack on the metropolis in which 166 were killed nearly eight months ago.
While much of what Kasab said in court has already been known through the prosecution case, the Lashkar man claimed that an Indian jehadi with the alias Abu Jundal taught him and his accomplices Hindi in one of the many camps they were trained. Besides, Kasab also named Lashkar operations chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and handlers Abu Hamza and Kahfa, along with Abu Jundal, among the four ustaads who trained the attackers.
He said he had waited for Pakistan to accept him as a Pakistani and decided to confess once Islamabad did so. However, there was some discrepancy in that claim as Pakistan first accepted Kasab as its citizen more than five months ago when Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said all the 26/11 attackers were Pakistanis. But with Kasab not questioned during the confession, it was not clear why he waited all this while.
Incidentally, Kasab’s confession comes a little over a week after Pakistan gave India a dossier on the action it had taken against the Lashkar men blamed for the attack. The 36-page dossier names Lashkar operations chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi as the “mastermind” and reconfirms the Pakistani nationality of Kasab.
While the Mumbai Police and the prosecution claimed his confession as a victory for the watertight case they said they had built, Kasab’s lawyer said he was completely surprised as he did not know this was coming despite having met his Pakistani prisoner on Friday.
Legal experts said that the confession would greatly speed up the trial against Kasab while the trial of the two others accused, Syed Sabahuddin and Fahim Ansari, was likely to be split and tried separately.
The police and the prosecution also said that there were some contradictions and discrepancies in Kasab’s confession today and the one he had made while in custody and later retracted and that they would place them before the court.
If Kasab accepts these contradictions as well and admits to them, his trial would effectively end and the two sides will argue over the punishment he deserves, they said. If not, these discrepancies will have to proved through further depositions.
Monday’s proceedings in the court began at 11 am with Police Inspector M Chavan due to depose in the hearing into the shootout at the Cama Hospital. But around 11.30 am, Kasab looked at his lawyer Abbas Kazmi and said he wanted to speak to Judge M L Tahaliyani, who immediately consented.
“Sir mujhe apna gunaah kabool karna hai (Sir, I want to confess my crime),” Kasab told Tahaliyani. For the next four hours, with a 30 minute break for lunch, Kasab talked about how he went to Rawalpindi with a friend to become a burglar and ended up becoming a jehadi and landed in Mumbai, armed to the teeth to kill indiscriminately.
“Mein Pakistan se sunne ke liye ruka tha. Jab unhone kabool kar liya ke Kasab unka hai, maine confession karne ki thaan li (I waited for Pakistan to accept that I was a Pakistani and once they did, I decided to confess),” Kasab told the court.
Kasab said he met a youth called Muzaffar while working with a decorator called Haji Sultan. “Mein naraaz tha apni life se. Muzaffar aur main baatein karte the. Muzaffar ne kaha hum dacoity karenge Rawalpindi main. Main turant tayaar ho gaya (I was unhappy with life. Muzaffar and I would talk. Muzaffar said we should become burglars in Rawalpindi. I immediately agreed),” he said.
He said he saw some Lashkar jehadis in Rawalpindi’s Raja Market and was immediately drawn to them. “Humne kaha hum yahan jehad karne aaye hain. Hame andar bula diya (I said I was there for jehad. They took me in),” he said, and went on to recall the rigorous training he and others were put through in various Lashkar camps across Pakistan.
Talking about the Mumbai attacks, Kasab said he was merely a foot soldier who had opened fire only inside the CST station. “I was relying on Abu Ismail, my companion, for orders. I had no idea what the next move was. We opened fire at the CST station and then headed towards Cama Hospital. I had not opened fire on any one after the CST firing,” he claimed.
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One cannot help but suspect that there is more to it than what meets the eyes, coinciding as it does with the visit of Hillary Clinton and chummy-pally, wheeling deelings talks and statements by the PMs of the two countries all too suddenly!
We never knew the Pakistanis spoke the Truth.
I think the special court's permission toplay the vedio coverage of the Mumbai terror attack has made kasab to confess in the court of his crime. Hats off to the special judge. Without permitting any hinderance to his full confession, the trail should be completed early and the Indian Government should, the help of all friendly nations, initiate steps to get the custody of the other criminals involved in the crime, expose Pakistan's involvement in the terrorism, and helplesness or failure to eradicate the same.
It's good to know that Kasab has accepted the henious crime. But i am just worried is this a negotiation in some sort between Pak and India to overcome the issue of Kashmir. Especially this has come after Hillary Clinton's visit.
Unlike Pakistan, India is a civilized country, but still Kasab should be given the hardest punishment ever.This rascal is a terrorist and he or his associates comes from very cheap homes, because they do not mind killing innocent people for pleasure.
THE CHINESE HAS FOUND URUMGI GUILTY AND HAS ALREADY HANGED THEM . WHEN WILL INDIA HANG SIR MR. AFZUL GURU AND SIR MR.AJMAL AMIR KASAB .WILL MANMOHAN ASK PAKIS. TO LET INDIAN OFFICAILS TO INTERVIEW LAKHVI TO FIND OUT WHICH PAKI. GOVERMENT OFFICIALS - PAKI. ARMY AND I.S.I ARE INVOLVED IN TERRORIST ACTIVITIES IN INDIA . THESE GUTLESS AND SPINELESS GOVERMENT WON'T DO ANYTHING THAT WILL UPSET MUSLIM MINORITY AND AMERICANS. GREAT SHAME .
Because you want to do Minority appeasement..and continue in power till eternity..!!
Fishy, very fishy. Wonder what's the agenda and who stands to gain from this. The biggest surprise is that why media is being so compliant and is not suspecting anything suspicious. Who is the conductor of this orchestra?
Some times I feel ashamed to call an Indian...A country which is not even able to execute hard core criminals... A country which is not able to act quickly and need to depend on consensus (global or religional or anything of that that sort).. to take a decision on most heinous crimes... Any country will boldly give punishments except ours ... A country where money speaks very very loudly.. poor people's ignorance is exploited to the hilt... A country which is not proud of its own heritage... A country where leaders never unite but take interest only for its own group or its own state or language or religion ... Still let's hope for light.. a light which will guide us to be one ... to think as one and act as one ... that's Indian.. Hindustani... Bharateey
Congress was thinking it will end the verdict around Maharashtra election time but the kasai admitted now. But still it will try to do something with the judgement near the elections. After the Mayawati statue case/ gay case in our courts, it is clear the judiciary works under direct orders of the govt. Spineless nation, so why not spineless judges.
Don't trust Pakisthan. They will send a number of Kasabs to India to kill innocent peoples. Their Military is training the terrorists and extending all ways and means to reach India. How long it took to accept their involvement in the attack. It is a well planned conspiracy of Pakistan Military to wage war against India. If we trust them, we are duped. Once Shri Vajpai went to Pakistan by road, their Army was trying to intrude to India in the name of Kashmir liberation. All the terrorists are harboured there to fight against India. If we cut all links with Pakisthan at least for 2 years, we shall watch them. Who ever is caught on terror activists, they should be shooted out there itself otherwise they will get the release by hijacking flights or any other activities conducive to their purpose. We are the losers and never we can expect any gain from the neighbour. Ofcourse majority of Pakistanies do not want to fight against India but minority is enough to destroy.
The complete confession should be recorded and dstributed worldwide.
Now Indian Gov.can know more about origin.
Are the indian lawers and judges living on the same planet or is our legal system becoming a new business in this economical downturn for making a quick buck at the expense of nation ? If the C party for 'appeasement of muslim votes' and the legal system 'as a new business' are offering an easy ride to these captured criminals with evidence then what is the deterrent and at what price ?
Isn't it obvious that this cofession comes a day after Pak accepts Lakhvi's role in 26/11?Their acceptance comes in couple of days after the Egypt summit! Basically it means Kasab must have conessed long time ago and the negotiations must be going on with various goverments/bodies on what to get out of this.Nonetheless, the obvious involvement has now been confirmed. However, justice will be implemented or not has to be seen. Going by Afzal Guru, Kasab will need at least 20 years before he could be hanged. 1993 Mumbai Bomb Explosion people are still not on the death row! For 2008 is a looooong wait
It is very good that by now Kassab has spoken the truth. It is highly important to identify the cruel hands worked behind the seen.The actual beneficiaries and their goal. Once identified the root and exposed the group, summary punishment should be given so that such henious crime will not be attempted by others again.
Though kasab has accepted,he will never be punished by minority appeasing cong.
finally, kasab admitted to his henious crime in the 26/11 attacks.hopefully better sense will also prevail on the judge overseeing this case and will give kasab the strictest punishment. otherwise kasab and his lawyer will find a way to wriggle out of all this.
But Kasab has to wait for his turn, before him Afzal Guru is in line. Till UPA government is there, Kasab should not worry.
It would be important to know where and how the training was done and whom or who all can Kasab indentify as trainers. He should also provide the background info. What abou the killings of the crew of the fishing trawler? This confessin is, by God, in no way enough. The Pakis in Pakistan must also be identified and subjected to trails.So, what does his lawyer have to say? Wasn't he try to pass off Kasab as a minor?