Magistrate who recorded Kasab's confession to depose

The prosecution in the 26/11 terror attack case would examine a Magistrate tomorrow who had recorded the confession of the arrested LeT militant Mohamed Ajmal Kasab. The move is considered significant because Kasab has retracted his confession in the trial court saying his statement was recorded under duress and that he had not given it voluntarily. As Kasab has retracted his confession, the Magistrate is being examined to prove that he had given a voluntary statement before him, Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told news agencies. Prosecution is also relying on the guilt plea made by Kasab mid-way during the trial. However, in the guilt plea he has not accepted his entire role. For instance, he had admitted to have fired at Chhatrapati Shivaji railway terminus (CST) but said he was only following instructions of Abu Ismael, the team leader. Kasab has also not admitted in the guilt plea that he had planted a bomb in a taxi and said it was Ismael who had done it. Besides, Kasab denied having fired at slain police officers, Ashok Kamathe, Hemant Karkare and Vijay Salaskar. However, in the confession before the Magistrate, Kasab admitted his role in the CST attack, firing at police officers and planting bomb in a taxi. Therefore, it is important to examine him, Nikam said. Hearing an application moved by Prosecutor Nikam to examine the Magistrate, Judge M L Tahaliyani issued summons asking the witness to depose tomorrow to throw light on whether Kasab had given a voluntary confession. Kasab had bared the role of Lashkar-e-Taiba in his confession saying that LeT chief Hafeez Saeed, the outfit's chief of operations Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi and its member Abu Hamza had trained the accused persons in various parts of Pakistan in military exercises and intelligence training. Kasab had said that the LeT chief had told them that time had come for 'jehad' and their ultimate goal of capturing Jammu and Kashmir could be achieved by attacking India. They were told to go to Mumbai and indiscriminately fire at people, killing as many as they could. Mumbai was the target because it is a financial hub and attracts foreign tourists. The attack, in which over 160 people including some foreigners were killed, was a proxy war on India and aimed at destabilising the country, Nikam said. Kasab is involved in seven cases - murder of crew of marine vessel 'Kuber' including its navigator, CST firing, Cama Hospital firing, gunning down three police officers, a taxi bomb explosion in Vile Parle, theft of a Skoda car and a policeman's murder at Chowpatty. The other militants along with Kasab, killed by security armed forces, were involved in firing at Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi Hotel, Leopold Cafe, Nariman House and taxi bomb blast at Mazgaon. Cases have been registered to probe these incidents also and Kasab has been charged with conspiracy in them.

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