The judge rejected the argument saying there is no bona fide argument or evidence that Kasab did the act under duress or because of pressure from the LeT or its chief Hafeez Saeed. "There was no duress, no pressure on Kasab. Rather, when they were in Karachi their travel got delayed. At that time Kasab was anxious to attack India."
Judge M L Tahaliyani on Thursday awarded the death sentence to Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested during the terror siege on the city in November 2008, for the carnage that had claimed 166 lives.
The bottom line is that carrying out Kasab's death sentence is not going to bring closure to the 26/11 case. For that matter, the conviction of the terrorists being tried in Pakistan will not end the menace of terrorism in India. The real closure will come only with the closure of the Jihad factory in Pakistan, which in turn will happen only if Pakistan takes concerted and sincere efforts to de-radicalise its society and its polity, neither of which are on the anvil.
The prosecution in the 26/11 terror attacks case on Thursday sought imposition of a compensation on Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab for causing huge damage to property to the tune of Rs 155.73 crore during the attacks. But the court refused to consider the plea raising a query as to who would pay it.
The death sentence given to Ajmal Amir Kasab may take years to be executed as the lone captured terrorist of Mumbai attacks could be 30th in the list of prisoners who are waiting to be sent to the gallows. Thursday's order by judge M L Tahaliyani is the first step of a long process which will include appeals before higher courts and most importantly, if he exercises his right, a clemency petition before the President.
As Ajmal Kasab's trial comes to a close we catch up with 'Goli' Chauhan born just as the terrorists created havoc at Mumbai's Cama Hospital.
