Maharashtra nails Ajmal Kasab by showing him in CCTV footage in court

The Bombay high court today viewed the CCTV footage of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and his slain accomplice in terror acts near CST, with a judge observing that their faces were clearly visible.

The five-minute footage was shown to judges Ranjana Desai and RV More of the division bench hearing confirmation of death sentence awarded to Kasab by the trial court.

After seeing the film, Justice Desai told government counsel Ujjwal Nikam, "This is the same Kasab who appears in the photographs produced before us as evidence. The faces of Kasab and Abu Ismail (slain accomplice) are very clear."

The film corroborates the pictures clicked by media photographers Sebastian D'souza and Sriram Vernekar of the two terrorists committing terror acts in Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Nikam said.

After firing at people in CST, the duo came down the foot overbridge near Times of India building. In the CCTV footage, the terrorists were seen moving with Ak-56 rifles.

The film showed that Kasab and Ismael tried to open the cars parked in the lane outside Times of India building but could not do so. Later, they went down the lane towards Cama hospital where they killed some people.

Nikam said the DNA samples recovered from blankets and jackets, seized by police from Kuber fishing trawler, matched with the DNA samples of Kasab.

Kasab had sneaked into India along with nine other terrorists from Karachi through sea route by hijacking Kuber to commit terror acts on November 26, 2008, he said.

Nikam said the fact that Kasab's DNA matched with the DNA samples from blankets and jackets is a proof that he and other had reached Mumbai by Kuber.

Nikam described as "false" Kasab's stand that he had no links with the slain 26/11 terrorists. He argued that DNA samples of the terrorists killed by armed forces, matched with those found in blankets and jackets used by them.

Nikam pointed out that each terrorist was given 8kg RDX to be planted in public places. Of these, seven exploded killing many people. Kasab had also planted a bomb in a taxi, which claimed the life of the driver and a lawyer.

He also said Kasab had kept a bomb in a locker at CST but it did not explode.

Two live bombs were recovered from the front and rear entrances of Hotel Taj Mahal. The terrorists were instructed by their handlers to explode the bombs at terror sites to make it difficult for police to reach these places, Nikam said.

The court is hearing the confirmation of death penalty awarded to Kasab. It is yet to hear the appeal filed by Kasab against his conviction and that filed by the state against the acquittal of Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed on the ground of "doubtful evidence".