Kasab smiled as court upheld his death sentence (Second Lead)
February 21st, 2011 - 1:56 pm ICT by IANSMumbai, Feb 21 (IANS) Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab smiled and grinned as a grim division bench of the Bombay High Court Monday upheld the death sentence awarded to him by a lower court for the killings during the 26/11 terrorist strike, lawyers said.He appeared before the division bench comprising Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice R.V. More through a video-conferencing from his cell in the Arthur Road Central Jail, shortly after 11 a.m.
Kasab walked in nonchalantly, smiling away before the camera as the judges dismissed an appeal filed by his counsel, challenging the death sentence given to him by Special Court Special Judge M.L. Tahaliyani in May 2010.
“It is the rarest of rare cases. If he is not awarded the death penalty, then people might lose faith in the judicial process,” the bench grimly observed.
The court upheld the four counts on which Kasab was slapped with the death sentence by Special Judge Tahaliyani last May, including the killing of three top Mumbai police officials - former anti-terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare, encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar and Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte.
A total of 166 persons were killed in the mayhem let loose by Kasab and nine other Pakistani gunmen during the 60-hour Mumbai terror attacks Nov 26-29, 2008.
While Kasab was the sole gunman caught alive, his nine accomplices were killed in the encounter with the combined security officials.
- 26/11 attacker Kasab's death penalty upheld (Roundup) - Feb 21, 2011
- 'Perverse' 26/11 attacker Kasab's death penalty upheld for attacking Indian state (Intro Roundup) - Feb 21, 2011
- Kasab to hang: Bombay High Court (Lead) - Feb 21, 2011
- 26/11 case: Kasab appears via video-conferencing in Bombay High Court - Oct 21, 2010
- Kasab to appeal to Supreme Court against death verdict (Lead) - Feb 23, 2011
- 26/11 attacks: Bombay HC to decide on Kasab's death penalty - Feb 21, 2011
- 26/11 attacks: Bombay High Court upholds death sentence for Kasab - Feb 21, 2011
- Man in egg cell who costs India high - Nov 25, 2010
- Judges pay tributes to securitymen killed in 26/11 - Feb 21, 2011
- Its crystal clear who masterminded 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks: Sonia Gandhi - Nov 02, 2010
- 26/11 case: Kasab refuses to appear via video link - Oct 20, 2010
- Kasab smiles during his death penalty hearing - Oct 18, 2010
- Mumbai attack: Hearing on confirmation of Kasab's death sentence from Oct 18 - Sep 20, 2010
- Kasab may be hanged by year-end, says G K Pillai - May 11, 2010
- Kasab spits on video camera, wants to go to US - Oct 19, 2010
Tags: accomplices, ajmal, amir, arthur road, ashok, bombay high court, central jail, combined security, commissioner of police, death sentence, desai, division bench, police officials, ranjana, rare cases, security officials, special judge, terror attacks, terrorist strike, video conferencing