Ajmal Amir Kasab Trial: Witness was first to see Kasab land

The man, who had on the evening of November 26 seen the 10-member terrorist gang landing on the Indian soil at Colaba, south Mumbai, identified lone captured Pakistani accused Ajmal Amir Kasab in the special court.

Bharat Tamore, a 50-year-old employee of hotel The Taj, one of the worst affected place in the 26/11 terror attacks, deposed before designated judge M L Tahiliyani that he had seen some unknown people landing near Budhwar park in Colaba in a black and yellow stripped dinghy (a small rubber boat) and even had a verbal pact with one of them.

While examining the witness, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam asked the witness to identify Kasab saying whether he had seen the accused on that fateful day.

To this Tamore pointing towards Kasab replied with a yes and said he stays at Budhwar park and was on night duty on the night of attacks.

He added that while leaving his house for duty, he saw about 10 people, all in the age group of 20-25, getting down from the dinghy after which eight of them leaving their life jackets in the boat marched towards the city while two of them stayed back.

Tamore, who works as a steward at Taj, added that he had gone near the two persons and asked them their name and where they were from. To this the duo said they were students but talked very rudely.

Later on, he went to the Taj to find that some terrorist have seized the hotel, he said, adding that he was one of the victims and was rescued by the police at 0700 hours the next morning.

Tamore also said in the court that the accused was the person he had had a conversation with adding that he informed the police about this matter on November 29.

Tamore said he had earlier identified Kasab in an identification parade conducted in the Arthur Road jail and his photographs in the paper alongwith his slain accomplice Abu Ismail, who was gunned down at Girgaum Chowpatty during an encounter with police.