Mumbai: Police constable Arun Jadhav, the
only survivor in the police van ambushed by lone surviving
Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and his slain accomplice Abu
Ismail, today said the Bombay High Court's judgement on the
death penalty was on expected lines.
Jadhav, who miraculously escaped the murderous attack,
in which police officers Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte, Vijay
Salaskar were killed, said, "the entire world was excepting
death for Kasab, so my expectation was also not different."
However, unlike other victims who demand that Kasab must
be hanged immediately, Jadhav said he respected the Indian
judicial system which gave equal rights to every person living
on the Indian soil, including Kasab.
"If Kasab is not happy (with the verdict) then he can
file an appeal (in the Supreme Court)", Jadhav said to a news agency.
However, reacting to the observation made by the trial
court earlier that his statement was not entirely credible and
he seemed to be sentimental in giving evidence, Jadhav said
that he had expressed his sorrow in the court.
"I was just telling the court what had happened and what
I had seen and that I saw Kasab killing my superiors."
Jadhav said that had it been any other person in his
place he would have testified in the same way he (Jadhav) did.
"I witnessed the ambush very closely," he said.
Meanwhile, 11-year-old Devika Natwarlal, who was injured
in indiscriminate firing by Kasab at Chhatrapati Shivaji
Terminus (CST) on the night of November 26, 2008 said, "I want
Kasab to be hanged in full public view."
"No other punishment other than death is acceptable to us
as he has shattered our lives and happiness, Devika, who had
received a bullet injury, on her right leg as a result of
which she became handicapped, told PTI ahead of Bombay High
Court's verdict on Kasab and his two associates, today.
It is not only she who is the victim of the carnage but
also her brother, Devika said. "My brother helped other
victims injured in the carnage by giving them aid in hospitals
and is now bed ridden", she said today.
Her father said, "the doctors asked my 16-year-old son
Jai to help the injured people and he volunteered to give aid
but he was not given any protection, not even gloves because
of which he developed infection. Jai is now suffering from
chest tuberculosis", Natwarlal said.
"His spinal cord has gone for a toss due to this", says
Natwarlal. "I am happy that Devika?s deposition was commended
by everyone but nobody even enquired about my son", he said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 21, 2011, 18:30