26/11 terror attacks case: SC verdict on Kasab's plea today

The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on Wednesday on Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab's plea against his conviction and death sentence in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in which 166 people were killed. 

25-year-old Kasab had filed the appeal from jail challenging his conviction and death sentence.

The apex court had appointed senior advocate Raju Ramachandran as amicus curiae to argue on behalf of Kasab.

A bench of justices Aftab Alam and C K Prasad had reserved its verdict on 25th April after a marathon hearing, spanning over two and a half month, of arguments by the prosecution and defence counsel in the terror mayhem, which involved random firing by Kasab and other mercenaries.

The court will also pass its verdict on Maharashtra government's plea challenging the Bombay High Court's order upholding the acquittal of Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, the alleged Indian conspirators of the 26/11 terror attack, by the trial court.

The two were acquitted for want of corroborative evidence.

Kasab, during the argument in the apex court, had contended that he was not given a free and fair trial and that he was not the part of any larger conspiracy for waging war against India.

He had also contended that the prosecution had failed to prove the case against him beyond doubts and told the bench that his right against self-incrimination as well as his right to get himself adequately represented by a counsel to defend himself in the case had been violated during the trial.

The apex court had stayed Kasab's death sentence on 10th October last year.

In his special leave petition (SLP) against the Bombay High Court judgement, which confirmed his death sentence, Kasab had claimed he was brainwashed like a "robot" into committing the crime in the name of "God" and pleaded that he does not deserve the death penalty due to his young age.

Kasab, who is lodged in Arthur Road Prison in Mumbai, had filed the SLP through the jail authorities.

Kasab, along with nine other Pakistani terrorists, had landed in south Mumbai on 26th November, 2008 night after travelling from Karachi by sea and had gone on a shooting spree at various city landmarks, in which 166 people were killed.

While Kasab was captured alive, the other terrorists in his group had been killed by security forces during the counter-terror operations.

He was sentenced to death by a special anti-terror court on 6th May, 2010.

The Bombay High Court had upheld on 21st February last year the trial court's order of death sentence to Kasab for the "brutal and diabolical" attacks aimed at "destabilising" the government.

Kasab's death penalty was upheld on charges of criminal conspiracy, waging war against the nation and various other provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the anti-terror law -- Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The high court had upheld Kasab's conviction on 19 counts under the IPC, the Arms Act, the Explosives Act, the Explosive Substances Act, the Foreigners Act, the Passport Act and the Railway Act.