An American national who lost both her husband and daughter in the 26/11 terror attacks said the hanging of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab has removed an "irritant" from the city of Mumbai and help the city to move on.
Israel Ansari and Sajida Khatoon were ecstatic on Wednesday morning after news broke that Ajmal Amir Kasab, convicted for his role in the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai was hanged to death at Pune's Yerwada Jail.
'It seems as if the 26/11 was not a blood-shed and Pakistan had sent its cricket team who made a double century by killing innocent people and 20 policemen'
Authorities of the Mumbai police had to protect Ajmal Kasab, the sole Pakistani terrorist arrested during the November 26 attack on the city, not only from the angry public, but even "from within the (police) department," Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Rakesh Maria said on Monday. "There was a lot of public anger. The dept had lost some of the best officers (during the attack), so we had to protect Kasab from within dept because there was anger in the department," said Maria.
Mumbai terror attacks accused and Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab on Monday denied killing Maharashtra Anti Terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare, and police officers Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar.
The intercepted conversation between the executors of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and their Pakistani handlers during the carnage will be played in the Supreme Court on Thursday after the prosecution said it was an important evidence showing the strikes were "pre-planned".
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.
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.
As Ajmal Kasab awaits punishment after being held guilty in the Mumbai attacks, the widow of an American killed in the terror strikes says she does not favour death penalty for the Pakistani gunman and prefers him to be jailed for life.
The Pakistani handlers of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, who attacked Mumbai during the 26/11 terror attacks, wanted to obtain the release of captured gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab in exchange for the hostages held by the terrorists, an indictment chargesheet for two suspects has said.
Former police officers and judges of the High Court and Supreme Court say that there is a need to bring back tougher laws since cases of terrorism have international ramification and under normal procedures there are too many obstacles that make the case of the prosecution extremely difficult.
Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 terror attacks case, stayed at a hotel in Mumbai's Powai area for two days in November 2008 ahead of the attacks, where he discussed about the crowded places in south Mumbai with a witness in the case, the police said on Tuesday.
A ten-year-old girl, who was disabled after being seriously injured in the terror attack on Mumbai on November 26 last year, on Wednesday identified arrested terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, as one of the two men who had fired indiscriminately at passengers inside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Devika was among the three witnesses to depose before the court regarding the terror strike at the CST rail terminus.
Some legal experts feel this may be a ploy to tell the court that he is mentally unbalanced in order to escape the death penalty.
The drama at the special court in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, which is the venue for the trial of the Mumbai terror attacks case, continued on Thursday. A day after Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested during the terror siege on Mumbai last year, urged the special court to punish him by hanging, his lawyer Abbas Kazmi told the court that he wanted to withdraw from the case.However, Kazmi later changed his mind and agreed to continue with the case.
Former National Security Adviser of Pakistan Mahmud Ali Durrani, who was sacked after disclosing to media the Pakistani nationality of Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab, has said he had written authorisation from the prime minister to speak on the evolving situation in the wake of the 26/11 strikes.
The deadlock over appointment of a lawyer for Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of November 26 attacks here, could be solved by appointment of amicus curiae, going by the Bombay High Court's recent judgment.
Ahead of Thursday's meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Asif Ali Zardari, India on Thursday said it was sure that Pakistan would not fail to take note of the Supreme Court verdict upholding the death sentence of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist in the 26/11 attacks.
Over 100 activists staged a protest and pelted stones at the residence of Anjali Waghmare, appointed by a special court to represent Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested during the terror attack on Mumbai in November last year, on Monday night. Following the attack, Waghmare has reportedly withdrawn from the case, but no official confirmation about her withdrawal was available.
The Bombay High Court has issued a notification directing the immediate constitution of a special court in the Arthur Road jail premises in Mumbai, to conduct the trial against Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone arrested terrorist in the November 26 terror attacks.The Mumbai Crime Branch is likely to file its chargesheet in the case on February 24, sources said.Special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam and Rakesh Maria, gave final touches to the chargesheet.
Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan made the observation after prosecution lawyers were unable to satisfy him on two key issues -- the serving of a non-bailable arrest warrant issued for Ansari and the receipt of written permission from India for sending a commission to interview key witnesses.
The Bombay high court on Monday said it would deliver its verdict on February 21 on confirmation of death sentence awarded to Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab for his role in the 26/11 terror attacks and also on his appeal against his conviction.
Lawyer Abbas Kazmi talks about his stint in Bigg Boss.
'Earlier in my career DGs were nearly 100 per cent honest.' 'By the time I retired, many DGs have not been honest.' 'One DG asking me to go and meet a home minister whom everybody knew is a corrupt guy.' '
While Vinita Kamte mourned the loss of her husband -- slain top cop Ashok Kamte -- she also found herself struggling to clear the air surrounding her husband's death at the hands of Pakistani terrorists on 26/11, reports Gauri Ghadi
For Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, the death penalty to Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist in 26/11 attack, is a welcome step. But it cannot help in bringing back his daughter and son-in-law, who lost their lives in the 26/11 attacks. "It feels good that the court has awarded death sentence to the terrorist. But it does not comfort us because Gabi and Rivki cannot come back," Rabbi Shimon told PTI over the phone from Israel.
Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist captured in the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, on Friday stood his ground in the witness box while recording his statement under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Power to examine the accused).
For the Gohils from Colaba not a day passes without shedding a tear for Harish, who fell prey to a stray bullet fired by terrorists at Colaba on November 26, 2008. All of 25, he was a pillar of support for this family of 14. Three years on, they still struggle to pick up the pieces, angry that crores have been spent on Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman behind the Mumbai attacks.
Saeed made the remarks while addressing a Friday prayer congregation at a mosque in Gujranwala in Pakistan's Punjab province on Saturday.
'The idea of subversive activities is so vague that it could include making fun of the government, being critical of the government.'
The trial of lone surviving gunman in the Mumbai terror attack case, Mohammed Amir Ajmal Kasab, scheduled to begin in the premises of Arthur Road central jail on Monday, has been put off by a week as the construction of the special court is not yet over.
'Whenever I prepare a joke for my performances I always have the family in mind: Would any member of the family feel offended by my joke?' 'If the answer is yes, I immediately drop it.'
Tributes were also paid at the places targeted by terrorists including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Cama and Albless Hospital, Hotel Taj Mahal Palace, the Oberoi Trident, Nariman House, the Jewish community centre, and the memorial of ASI Tukaram Omble who was martyred while overpowering Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist who was captured alive.
'As Rana is not an Indian citizen, our leverage on the US system -- whether it's their judiciary or the executive -- is very limited in that sense.'
Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, an United Nations-designated terrorist who trained the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) attackers for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and acted as the outfit's chief on at least two occasions, died in a prison in Pakistan's Punjab province while serving a sentence for terror financing, his aide said on Wednesday.
A year ago, Kia Scherr lost her husband and 13-year-old daughter in the Mumbai terror attacks. Yet, reports Arthur J Pais from Virginia, USA, they remain a constant presence in her life, as she channels grief into service.
In the audio clip, he is heard directing the attack on Chabad House during Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks.
The verdict of a United States court holding Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana not guilty of the Mumbai terror attacks would not affect the legal proceedings against terrorist Ajmal Kasab and the charge against Lashkar-e-Tayiba of masterminded the strikes, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said on Friday.
Justice Madanlal Laxmandas Tahaliyani, a retired judge of the Bombay high court, was on Monday sworn in as the new Maharashtra Lokayukta.
Mumbai police has received text messages warning of a '26/11-like' attack on the city from a phone number with Pakistan's country code and a person has been detained in this connection, officials said on Saturday.