26/11: Kasab’s lawyer challenges his confession

Continuing the final defence arguments in the 26/11 case in the special court,Mohammed Ajmal Kasab’s lawyer K P Pawar on Monday challenged his confession recorded by magistrate RV Sawant Waghule. Pawar argued that it cannot be believed the confession was voluntarily recorded. “How can one claim the confession was voluntary when Kasab didn’t even know any such confession was recorded. My client wasn’t even given access to the confession. No one read it to him,” said Pawar and urged Kasab be allowed to make a retraction in court.

He told the court that Kasab,the lone surviving Pakistani gunman arrested after the 26/11 attacks,should be acquitted of all charges. Pawar also argued that there were several inconsistencies in eye-witness accounts and cited the deposition of Bharat Tambole,a resident of Badhwar Park fishermen colony that 10 persons had come in a rubber dinghy on the night of November 26,2008,as an example. Pawar made a 307- page submission of the defence arguments in the court. His junior,V More will continue the arguments on Tuesday.