03 May,2010 04:17 PM IST | | Ketan Ranga
Special court holds him guilty of murder and waging war against nation; Fahim Ansari Sabauddin acquitted
Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab, the lone surviving 26/11 terrorist, was on Monday held guilty by special court judge M L Tahaliyani.
Qasab, among other charges, was charged guilty waging war against nation, murder, attempt to murder, abetting murders in all the sites of the 26/11 incident, conspiracy, illegal possession of arms, causing grievous hurt, damaging public property, attacking public servant, robbery, wrongful confinement and abduction. He was also charged under the Customs Act and the Railway Act.
Fahim Ansari who was accused of producing the Mumbai maps that were found on the body of Qasab's co-hort Abu Ismail, was acquitted. This was done because the maps found with Ansari and the maps found on the deceased were drawn with different inks.
Sabahuddin Ahmed, the other co-accused in the case, was acquitted because while the witness confessed to having seen Ansari hand over the map to Sabahuddin, there was no evidence to suggest that he had passed on the same to Pakistani handlers.
Qasab, who has confessed and denied his role in the terror attacks, was finally handed over the punishment after 17-month trial.
Three lawyers, namely Anjali Waghmare, Abbas Kazmi and K P Pawar, were given the opportunity to defend the terrorist during the trial.
During the 271 working days of the trail, Qasab was asked 1611 questions and slapped with 86 charges.
In his confession, Qasab had admitted that he came in a boat from Karachi along with nine other terrorists to carry out the dastardly acts on the night of November 26 in four places including the iconic Taj and Oberoi Hotels.
In a makeshift court room in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail. Qasab and other terrorists have been also charged with killing five crew members of the boat "Kuber" with which they reached the shores of Mumbai from Pakistan.
They also face charges of planting a bomb in a taxi that exploded in Vile Parle besides firing at CST and Cama hospital, killing three policemen near Rang Bhavan. They have been accused of stealing a Skoda car and killing a policeman at Chowpatty.
Qasab and other accused also face conspiracy charges for the firing at hotels Taj and Oberoi, Nariman House, Leopold Cafe restaurant and planting a bomb that exploded at Mazgaon.
Prosecution has said Qasab and other suspected members of Pakisan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba were able to succeed in their designs to strike terror in Mumbai on November 26 because of maps allegedly provided by co-accused Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin.
