HC rejects Kasab's plea to meet lawyer alone

Mumbai: Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab on Tuesday moved the Bombay High Court, challenging the death sentence handed out to him for attacking Mumbai on November 26, 2008 and killing many people. Kasab has challenged his conviction in the Mumbai attack case on 54 grounds.

He has raised questions over the evidence used in the trial, the identification parade and the validity of the confessional statement among others.

The High Court earlier rejected his plea to meet his lawyers alone, without any jail staff nearby.

This decision was taken after CCTV footage showed Kasab attacking a jail superintendent at the high-security Arthur Road jail on September 1, 2010. The prosecution had submitted CCTV footage as evidence before the special court, which showed Kasab attacking the jail superintendent.

The prosecution made the claim after Kasab's lawyer demanded that they should be allowed to talk to him without the jail staff within hearing distance. But the prosecution countered the argument saying Kasab was a dangerous man and the presence of jail staff near him was very important.

Kasab has been sentenced to death for attacking Mumbai on November 26, 2008 along with nine other Pakistani terrorists. He was found guilty of 80 offences, including waging war against the nation, which is punishable with the death penalty.

Special Judge M L Tahaliyani gave Kasab, 22, death sentence on five counts of murder, conspiracy to murder, waging war against the country, abetting murder and indulging in terrorist activities.

Kasab was also awarded life imprisonment on five other counts, which included attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and violation of the Explosive Substances Act.

While convicting him on June 3, the judge had ruled that Kasab was guilty of directly killing seven people and a total of 59 with associate Abu Ismail, who was shot dead after running into a police picket at Girgaun Chowpatty early on November 27 - shortly after the terror attack began in Mumbai on November 26 night.

His conviction was based on CCTV footage showing him striding across the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus with an AK-47 and a backpack.

The 60-hour audacious attack began on the night of November 26, 2008 and went on till the afternoon of November 29. Only Kasab was captured alive while the other nine terrorists were killed in the gunfight with security forces.