Kasab Nervous but quiet before Hanging - Mumbaikars Celebrate

Pics by Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network

PUNE, Nov 21: Minutes before his execution in Pune's Yerwada prison on Wednesday, Pakistani gunman Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab appeared to be nervous but was quiet and offered prayers, a jail official said.

"From his body language, we could make out that he was very nervous. However, he remained quiet before he was taken out from his cell for the hanging," the official said.

Kasab had also offered prayers and asked if his family was informed in advance about the hanging to which jail authorities replied in the affirmative, the official said.

Nearly four years after the Mumbai terror attack, Kasab, the sole surviving Pakistani gunman, was hanged this morning at Yerwada central prison here in a secret operation.

Kasab had been made to sign his death warrant before being moved to the Pune jail on November 19.

According to official sources, a senior jail official read out the death warrant to Kasab at his cell and also informed him that his clemency petition had been rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee.

After reading out his death warrant, Kasab, who was part of the 10-member Lashkar group that carried out the dastardly attack on November 26, 2008, was asked to sign it which he did, the sources said.

Later, he was taken by the Yerwada Jail police and the local police was kept out of the loop to maintain secrecy of the operation.

Barring a couple of officers, the 200-strong contingent of ITBP, which has been guarding him since March 2009, had been kept out of loop about his transfer to the Pune jail.

The sources said the ITBP jawans continued to guard the empty high-security cell, which had been housing 25-year-old Kasab.

Ten terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had come to Mumbai and carried out the dastardly strikes in which 166 people were killed. Nine of them were killed during the 60-hour siege which began on the night of November 26, 2008. Kasab was, however,caught alive.

Pakistani Terrorist Kasab Hanged for 26/11 Attack

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Kasab had been buried inside the premises of Pune's Yerawada Central Jail shortly after the execution, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told journalists.

Chavan said Kasab had been shifted from Mumbai's Arthur Road jail to Pune two days ago.

Kasab did not leave behind any will, the chief minister said.

The chilling images of Kasab's killing spree, captured by close-circuit TVs installed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai were rekindled, as Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil announced the execution, carried out in complete secrecy.

"All the legal procedures in the 26/11 terror attacks case were completed," Patil told reporters in Mumbai, adding: "Accordingly, Kasab has been hanged this morning at 7.30 a.m. in Yerawada Central Jail."

Kasab's end came five days before the fourth anniversary of the brutal terror attacks that claimed 166 lives and injured 300 people. Nine of his associates, who had sneaked into Mumbai for the three-day carnage, had been secretly buried in the city in January 2010.

The hanging also comes a day before the winter session of parliament and weeks ahead of Gujarat assembly election in December.

Indian federal ministers said a letter was sent to the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi, informing them of the decision to hang Kasab. When the letter was not accepted, a the same was faxed to Pakistan's foreign ministry. But there was no response.

Kasab -- who was barely 21 when he carried out the brutal attack -- was sentenced to death on four counts and to life sentence on five counts on charges including murder, waging a war on India and possessing weapons.

He was first sentenced to death by a special trial court on May 6, 2010.

The Bombay High Court upheld the verdict Feb 21 last year, followed by a similar decision by the Supreme Court on Aug 29. Finally, President Mukherjee rejected his mercy plea Nov 5.

"It took the Maharashtra government less than two weeks to hang Kasab, after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy petition Nov 5. I forwarded it to the Maharashtra government on Nov 8," union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said in New Delhi.

"Pakistan has been informed but there is no demand for Kasab's body," he said, adding, the the entire operation had to be conducted under secrecy due to the sensitivities involved and all the due procedures were followed.

Soon after, reactions started pouring in.

"Better late than never. Kasab's hanging will act as a balm on the wounds of the people of Mumbai but their wounds are still fresh," said Shahnawaz Hussain, the spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"They will get relief only when Kasab's handler's from across the border are brought to justice."

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who appeared for state in the case, said with Kasab's hanging homage has now been paid to those lost their lives in the terror attacks.

"By Kasab's conviction and death penalty, we have proved how the entire conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan. We have set an example that India will not tolerate such attacks and the accused will be brought to justice," Nikam said.

Kasab buried inside Pune jail

Ajmal Amir Kasab was buried inside the premises of Pune's Yerawada Central Jail shortly after he was hanged, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said Wednesday.

Kasab, the sole surviving Pakistani terrorist caught in the 26/11 attack, was hanged at 7.30 a.m. Wednesday, four years after the terror siege that killed 166 people.

Chavan said Kasab had been shifted from Mumbai to Pune two days ago.

Kasab did not leave behind any will, the chief minister told journalists, adding that he had been buried in the jail premises on the outskirts of Pune.

The hanging was set rolling after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected Kasab's mercy plea Nov 5 and the file was sent back to Maharashtra government three days later.

Pakistan informed before Kasab was hanged

In line with protocol, Islamabad was informed before Ajmal Amir Kasab, the Pakistani caught after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, was hanged in Pune Wednesday, informed sources said.

Pakistan was also told about an address in Pakistan that Kasab had given to Indian authorities, the sources said.

Earlier in the morning, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said President Pranab Mukherjee rejected Kasab's mercy petition on Nov 5.

"Pakistan has been informed but there is no demand for Kasab's body," Shinde told the media.

"The president rejected Kasab's mercy petition Nov 5. I had forwarded it to the Maharashtra government on Nov 8, and it was finalised that day that Kasab would be hanged on Nov 21 at 7.30 a.m.," he said.

"Pakistan refused to accept the letter informing them of Kasab's hanging and they returned it. So we sent them a fax as well," he added.

Shinde said Kasab would be buried in India as Pakistan had refused to accept the body.

Asked if the hanging would cause a law and order problem, Shinde said: "I don't think there will be any trouble (if Kasab is buried in India)."

Law Minister Salman Khurshid said India would consider any request from Kasab's family for his body.

"If there is any request... we will do the needful," he said.

Asked about the secrecy surrounding the hanging, Shinde said: "Such matters have to be kept secret. But as I had said earlier, we will do the needful whenever we get the papers (from the president) and we have done it."

In Mumbai, Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil said: "This is a tribute to all the innocent people and police officers who lost their lives in the heinous attack on our nation."

Nov 26, 2008 to Nov 21, 2012: Timeline of Kasab case

Ajmal Amir Kasab was hanged here Wednesday for his role in the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed. From then to now, a timeline:

2008

Nov 26: Kasab and nine Pakistani gunmen launch a bloody attack on multiple locations in south Mumbai

Nov 27: At 1.30 a.m., Kasab caught, admitted to Nair hospital

Nov 28: Kasab gives statement to police, confesses role

Nov 28: All places under siege secured after 60 hours, nine terrorists killed

2009

Jan 13: M.L. Tahaliyani appointed 26/11 special judge

Jan 16: Arthur Road Central Jail, south Mumbai, selected for Kasab's trial

Feb 5: Kasab's DNA samples match with articles seized from fishing boat Kuber

Feb 20/21: Kasab confesses before Magistrate (Miss) R.V. Sawant-Wagule

Feb 25: Chargesheet against Kasab, two others filed in Esplanade Metropolitan Court

April 15: Trial in 26/11 case commences

April 17: Kasab's confession opened in court, he retracts

April 20: Prosecution charge Kasab on 312 counts

April 29: Kasab is major, say experts after lawyer claimed he was juvenile

May 6: Charges framed, Kasab charged on 86 counts, denies charges

May 8: First eyewitness deposes, identifies Kasab

June 23: Non-bailable warrants issued against 22, including Hafeez Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi

June 25: Kasab suffering from ulcers, court told

July 20: Kasab pleads guilty before Special Judge Tahaliyani

Dec 16: Prosecution completes case in 26/11

Dec 18: Kasab denies all charges

2010

Jan (Date not disclosed): Bodies of nine Pakistani terrorists disposed of at a secret location near Mumbai, according to Home Minister R.R. Patil

Feb 11: Shahid Azmi, lawyer of one of 26/11 accused, shot dead in Kurla

Feb 23: Final argument to begin March 9

May 6: Kasab sentenced to death by 26/11 court

Oct 18: Kasab's death sentence confirmation/appeal hearing to commence in high court

Oct 19: Kasab wants to attend court in person, spits at camera and says "send me to America"; judges warn him to behave

Oct 25: High court judges views CCTV footage purportedly showing Kasab and slain terrorist Abu Ismail in terror acts

Oct 27: Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam justifies death sentence awarded to Kasab

Oct 29: Kasab confuses trial court by taking frequent U-turns

Nov 25: Kasab's lawyer Amin Solkar begins argument, says trial was unfair. He demands retrial in 26/11 case

Nov 30: Solkar argues that charge of "waging war against nation" was not made out against Kasab

Dec 2: Kasab did not come from Pakistan by dinghy, his lawyer says. Adds that dinghy could not accommodate 10 people

2011

Feb 21: Bombay High Court upholds death verdict on Kasab

July 29: Kasab challenges death sentence in Supreme Court

2012

Aug 29: Supreme Court confirms Kasab's death sentence

Sep 16: Through Arther Road Central Jail, Kasab files mercy plea, sent to Maharashtra government

Oct 16: After Maharashtra government rejects Kasab's mercy plea, placed before Indian home ministry

Oct 23: Home ministry rejects Kasab's mercy plea

Nov 5: President Pranab Mukherjee rejects Kasab's mercy plea

Nov 8: Kasab file sent to Maharashtra government for further action

Nov 19: In a top secret operation, Kasab shifted to Pune, 48 hours before the hanging.

Nov 21: Kasab hanged and buried inside Yerawada Central Jail