Mumbai, March 4 (IANS): In a belated move, the Maharashtra government has decided to give a special promotion to 14 police officers and policemen who helped nab Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab alive, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said here on Wednesday.

Deshmukh told the Assembly that the 14 police officials who have already been given various honours have now been given one step out-of-turn higher promotion in their respective current posts.

The minister's reply came to a question raised by Shiv Sena legislator Sunil Prabhu.

A 14-strong team of police personnel manning a road block at Girgaum Chowpatty, during the 26/11 attack, had accosted a hijacked Skoda car driven by Ismail Khan with Kasab in the next seat.

In the brief but fierce gunfight that ensued, Khan was shot dead and the heavily armed Kasab was nabbed alive in the early hours of November 27, 2008.

Kasab - who was later given a full trial and subsequently hanged - was the sole Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist caught alive while nine of his accomplices were shot dead during the 60-hour long terror strikes which were launched late night of November 26.