Jail refuses permission to lawyer to meet Ajmal Kasab in late hours

Armed with a Bombay high court order, defence lawyer Amin Solkar went to Arthur Road Central Jail last evening to seek instructions from Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab but prison authorities refused him an interview with the client saying that the gates close in the evening.

"I told jail officials that the high court had directed me to meet Kasab in the evening but they refused permission saying that visitors were not allowed after 6:30pm," Solkar said.

Kasab had thrown tantrums yesterday in the court by spitting at the webcam, demanding presence in the court and walking away in a huff during video conference arranged for hearing confirmation of death sentence awarded to him by the trial court on May 6 for killing 166 persons in the 26/11 terror attacks.

Justices Ranjana Desai and RV More had warned Kasab to behave properly with policemen and told him to air his grievances with his lawyer in the evening.

Accordingly, the judges asked his lawyer Amin Solkar to visit the jail and meet Kasab.

Solkar assured the court that he would meet Kasab and explain to him that it was not possible to bring him to the court in view of threat perception to him.

However, jail authorities did not allow Solkar to meet Kasab, saying he had come at 6:30pm when the jail closes doors to visitors.

Meanwhile, arguments on confirmation of death sentence awarded to Kasab will continue for the third day in a row in the high security court 49 where video conference facility has been put up to enable Kasab hear the proceedings from jail.

Kasab has also filed an appeal challenging the capital punishment. The state too has filed an appeal against the trial court's order acquitting Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed due to "doubtful evidence."