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Lone surviving militant tells cops how his ambition of starting a gang took him to Lashkar-e-Taiba's terror camp

Confessions of a dangerous man: Mohammad Ajmal Mohammad Amir Kasab

Mohammad Ajmal Kasab (21), the lone surviving terrorist, was involved in petty crimes to earn his livelihood as a teenager. He told the police that he harboured an ambition to form his own gang of robbers, but lacked ammunition. That's when he got in touch with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). This is the story of Kasab in his own words as told to the Mumbai police.

Small crimes
 
Kasab belonged to a poor family in Faridkot in the Punjab province of Pakistan, and dropped out of school in the fourth standard. At the age of 15, he left his family, joined some robbers and got involved in petty crimes in the Okara district in Pakistan.

Making of a terrorist

At 19, Kasab thought of forming his own gang, but lacked ammunition. A small-time criminal in Okara took him to LeT operatives who indoctrinated him to become a terrorist. "Kasab was taken to a LeT outfit to get ammunition. There, he was brainwashed into fighting for jihad and trained for a year and a half," said Rakesh Maria, joint commissioner of police (Crime).

Social work, jihad

Investigations reveal that the LeT used social work to handpick people and indoctrinate them. After the US banned the LeT in 2001, they formed a non-government charitable organisation called Jamaat-ud-Dawa.
"They have opened madrassas in schools and colleges where they indoctrinate youngsters. The students are brainwashed with religious talks and trained to become terrorists," added Maria.

Kasab cannot confess on TV, as per law
The media quoted DGP S S Virk as saying that Kasab must be made to confess to his association with Pakistan on TV. Thus, Pakistan would not be able to deny any allegations. However, IPS officer-turned-lawyer, Y P Singh, said, "It won't be easy for investigators to make Kasab talk on TV. It is also not permissible in the court of law. It may give wrong signals, as he may later claim that the police tortured him."

What's his name?
Mohammad Ajmal Mohammad Amir Kasab is the name of the arrested terrorist as recorded by the Mumbai police. "His father is a butcher and hence he is called Kasab (meaning butcher). Since people are often known by their surname and the area they belong to, his name has also been recorded that way," said police commissioner Hasan Gafoor.