akshaymalik84
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“Mujhe gunaah kabool hai (I admit my crime).” These four words from Ajmal Kasab in a special court in Mumbai on July 20 opened a sensational new chapter in the ongoing 26/11 terror attack trial.
After hearing this Judge Tahiliyani made the distinction, saying Kasab’s statement was “not a confession but (merely) an admission of guilt”. This, as 26/11 case analysts point out, is in stark contrast to his ‘not guilty’ plea at the start of the trial, when charges were framed against him and others.
After hearing the prosecution and defence arguments, Judge Tahiliyani passed an order on July 23. Accordingly, Kasab’s statement was accepted as evidence on record, to be weighed with and against all other evidence presented, but was silent on prima facie accepting or rejecting it.
Now there are as many as 134 witnesses, including on duty police officers, survivors, relatives of those who died, have stood in the box, identified Kasab, shared details of the horrific night and been cross-examined. The 135th witness, constable Arun Jadhav, who escaped by pretending to be dead in the rear of the police van carrying the officers Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar was to depose when Kasab rocked the court. Another 50-60 witnesses are still to be examined.
This will take another 2-3 months and trail will continue.
After hearing this Judge Tahiliyani made the distinction, saying Kasab’s statement was “not a confession but (merely) an admission of guilt”. This, as 26/11 case analysts point out, is in stark contrast to his ‘not guilty’ plea at the start of the trial, when charges were framed against him and others.
After hearing the prosecution and defence arguments, Judge Tahiliyani passed an order on July 23. Accordingly, Kasab’s statement was accepted as evidence on record, to be weighed with and against all other evidence presented, but was silent on prima facie accepting or rejecting it.
Now there are as many as 134 witnesses, including on duty police officers, survivors, relatives of those who died, have stood in the box, identified Kasab, shared details of the horrific night and been cross-examined. The 135th witness, constable Arun Jadhav, who escaped by pretending to be dead in the rear of the police van carrying the officers Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar was to depose when Kasab rocked the court. Another 50-60 witnesses are still to be examined.
This will take another 2-3 months and trail will continue.