SC to decide on kasab’s fate today
New Delhi: All eyes will be on the Supreme Court on Wednesday, which will pronounce its judgement on 26/11 Mumbai attacks convict Ajmal Kasab’s plea against his death penalty. The apex court will decide whether to uphold the Bombay High Court’s order.
The high court upheld Kasab’s death penalty Feb 21, 2011. Kasab was sent to the gallows by a Mumbai trial court May 6, 2010. Besides other charges, he was convicted for waging war against the nation.
An apex court bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice CK Prasad reserved the verdict on the conclusion of arguments that spread over nearly three months, starting Jan 31.
In the Mumbai terror attack, Kasab was one of 10 Pakistanis who illegally sailed into India and launched the Nov 26-29 mayhem that killed 166 people, including many foreigners.
The court will also pronounce its verdict on Maharashtra government’s appeal challenging the acquittal of Fahim Harshad Mohammad Yusuf Ansari and Sabauddin Shaikh. They were accused of providing topographical details to the Mumbai terror attack accused.
Kasab had challenged the sentence in the highest court of appeal early this year. The apex court that conducted a marathon hearing in the case for two months and reserved its verdict in the case in April, will pronounce whether it will be death for Kasab. In May 2010, a trial court had sentenced the Pakistani national to death, an order upheld by the Bombay High Court in October 2011.
Kasab contended that he was denied a fair trial as he was not provided legal assistance as mandated under in terms of Article 22 (1) of the Indian constitution.
Senior counsel and amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran, who appeared for Kasab, told the court that “denial of right to counsel at the earliest stage and denial of right to protection against self-incrimination” together vitiated a fair trial.
Defending Kasab, Ramachandran told the court that “if he had the lawyers’ assistance right from the beginning, one wonders if a confessional statement would have been made”.
