Kasab's trial to begin from April 15

Ajmal Aamir Kasab, the lone captured terrorist in the Mumbai terror attacks, will face the trial from April 15 in a specially constructed court in the Arthur Road jail premises.

The incompletion of the court’s construction caused the delay. The trial, which was scheduled on Monday, was postponed by a week as the construction of the special court was not completed yet.

The Public Works Department (PWD) informed the jail authorities that the work was going in full swing since last month and the construction would be completed soon. Only then will they be able to hand over the court premises to the jail authorities.

Earlier TADA court, which conducted the 1993 bomb blast trial, carried out its court procedure here. Kasab will have direct access to court from his cell through a bomb proof tunnel built by the authorities owing to security reasons. Kasab is lodged in an isolated cell and is not allowed to meet other prisoners. A Thick security blanket has been put in and around the Arthur Road jail.

Kasab, along with two other accused Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed who are lodged in other prisons, will be produced before specially appointed Justice M L Tahiliyani. Fahim and Sabahuddin allegedly conducted recce of terror targets-Hotel Taj, Oberoi-Trident, and CST station-at the instance of LeT. The map made by the duo helped the terrorists to be familiar with the in and out of the targeted locations.

And on the dreaded night of November 26 last year, Kasab and other nine terrorists opened indiscriminate firing at the civilians at CST, held hostage many people at the Taj and Oberoi-Trident for three days, killing nearly 180 and injuring above 300—many of whom were foreign tourists. In the anti-terror operation, Kasab was arrested, while the nine others were killed.