Leak of Kasab’s confessional video to TV channel angers court
July 30th, 2009 - 10:04 pm ICT by IANSMumbai, July 30 (IANS) The Mumbai court trying the 26/11 attack Thursday urged police to take action against the officer who leaked Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab’s confessional video to a TV channel here.
A 67-minute video CD of Kasab’s confession, recorded by police in a hospital soon after his arrest during the last year’s terror attacks in Mumbai, was repeatedly telecast by TV9 last week.
Taking a serious note of the leakage, Judge M.L. Tahilyani said the concerned officer had committed a theft and a “breach of trust” by giving the CD of the sensitive confession by Kasab recorded by the police Nov 27, 2008.
He directed the police to file its reply to an application moved by defence lawyer S.G. Abbas Kazmi Wednesday seeking the court’s directives to take the confession on the record as it was neither a part of the charge sheet nor the evidence.
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said the confession was recorded during Kasab’s interrogation at Nair Hospital.
He argued that a statement recorded by police is part of interrogation and investigations and is not admissible in the court.
Tahilyani said the matter was “very sensitive” taking into consideration the international importance of the case.
“In my opinion, since the interrogation part does not come under the purview of the court, I would suggest that the police should take serious note of this matter,” Tahilyani said.
“The statement recorded during interrogation is the property of the police and not a personal one. It has to be in the custody of police. If such a CD is leaked out to some channel then it is very serious. This amounts to theft and breach of criminal trust,” Tahilyani said.
He said there were three options before the court.
“Either we should accept the application of Kazmi and take on record the statement or issue contempt notice against the concerned TV channel or take suo moto cognizance or the third option to consider it as an offence and take action against the concerned officers.”
The judge reserved his order on the matter till Friday.
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- Timeline of Mumbai terror attacks trial - May 02, 2010
- Timeline in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks trial - Mar 31, 2010
- Kasab spills 26/11 beans, then wants to retract confession (Roundup) - Apr 17, 2009
- Kasab's admissions not a confession: lawyer Kazmi - Jul 21, 2009
- Timeline of 26/11 case - Feb 21, 2011
- Kasab's confession accepted on court record, trial to continue (Lead) - Jul 23, 2009
- Nov 26, 2008 - May 3, 2010: timeline of 26/11 trial - May 03, 2010
- Supreme Court stays Kasab's death sentence - Oct 10, 2011
- Kasab's lawyer says he wants to withdraw from the case - Jul 23, 2009
- Pakistani terrorist Kasab claims he is a juvenile - Apr 17, 2009
- Pakistani terrorist retracts confession, alleges police pressure (Lead) - Apr 17, 2009
- First phase of Mumbai terror attacks end (Lead) - Dec 16, 2009
- Kasab is over 20 years old - medical examiners tell court - Apr 28, 2009
Tags: abbas, ajmal, angers, breach of trust, cognizance, confession, contempt notice, defence lawyer, interrogation, investigations, kazmi, mumbai court, nair, public prosecutor, purview, reply, taking into consideration, terror attacks, tv channel, video cd