Mumbai: Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab`s
death sentence will come up before Bombay High Court next week
for confirmation even as the Maharashtra government has geared
up its legal team to file an appeal against the acquittal of
two others in the 26/11 attacks case before the stipulated
deadline of August 4.
The trial court has already forwarded its judgement to
the Bombay High Court for confirmation of the death penalty
to Kasab, who teamed up with nine other Pakistani terrorists
to kill 166 people at multiple locations in Mumbai on
November 26, 2008.
According to High Court sources, the matter of
confirmation of Kasab`s death sentence is expected to be heard
next week while the prosecutor`s office is yet to receive from
the home department a draft of appeal against acquittal of
Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, acquitted of the charge of
conspiracy.
The State has appointed Ujjwal Nikam as the special
counsel to argue on confirmation of death sentence to Kasab
and also to give submissions on appeal against the trial
court`s order acquitting Ansari and Ahmed.
Nikam was also the prosecutor in the trial court and he
would be involved in drafting the appeal in this case, sources
told PTI.
The trial court had acquitted Faheem and Sabauddin
giving them the benefit of doubt.
The 90-day deadline to file an appeal in this case
expires on August 4 and, in all probability, the government
would file an appeal before this period, the sources said.
So far, Kasab has not filed an appeal against the death
sentence but he had earlier written a letter to the High Court
to appoint lawyers to defend him. Accordingly, the High Court
referred the matter to the Maharashtra State Legal Services
Authority which appointed two well known criminal lawyers Amin
Solkar and Farhana Shah to represent him.
The two lawyers are studying the 1,500-page judgement
and may file an appeal in a few days.
The confirmation of death sentence, along with appeals
filed by Kasab and the state, would be heard simultaneously by
the High Court.
The trial court while delivering its judgement on May 6
had justified death penalty to Kasab, saying that he had
committed a heinous crime and that he should be sent to
gallows instead of serving life term in jail to avoid
recurrence of incidents like hijack of aircraft to Khandhar in
exchange for release of terrorists in jail.
Kasab is now lodged in a special cell at Arthur Road
jail which is bullet and bomb proof. He is heavily guarded and
is segregated from other prisoners.
PTI
