Court turns down Kasab's juvenile appeal

The special Sessions court located inside the Arthur Road jail turned down the appeal of Mumbai terror accused Ajamal Kasab that he should be tried in a juvenile court.

Abbas Kazmi, the newly appointed counsel of Kasab, contented that Ajmal Kasab was just 17 at the time of Mumbai massacre, so the case should be proceeded in a juvenile court under the juvenile laws.

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Justice Tahilyani after observing Kasab said he doesn’t look like 17 year-old, and as per the birth details he was 21 at the time of Mumbai strikes.

Earlier, special public prosecutor Ujjawal Nikam told the court that Kasab should be charged under Section 302 of IPC for the murder of 166 people killed during the three-day carnage from Nov 26 to 29, 2008.

‘Although Kasab was not solely responsible for the killing of all those 166 people and firing at the two Hotels and Nariman House executed by his accomplice, but he was one of the co-conspirators of the massacre,’ argued Nikam.

Kasab and two other accused Fahim Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed have been booked in 12 cases related to terror strikes. Kasab has been charged with criminal conspiracy, waging war against nation and also under various Indian Penal Code sections. He has also been charged with committing robbery.

Kasab was held on the night of Nov 26 last year while attempting to flee after killing many people in an indiscriminate firing at CST station. His nine accomplices were killed in different commando operations.

Kasab’s trial was long awaited since the Mumbai Police filed a voluminous chargesheet of 11,000 pages.

His trial was to begin Wednesday but delayed because his counsel Anjali Waghmare was sacked by the court for she was appointed to appear for a victim of the Mumbai attack in the same case.