In trial court,a quieter Kasab

One year after the 26/11 trial started,Ajmal Kasab,the only gunman that day to be captured alive,has gone from smiling and laughing in court to sitting with his eyes closed during the proceedings. The 22-year-old,Class IV dropout’s transition may be for several reasons — from reprimands by the judge to complaints of bad behaviour by jail authorities.

Over the past one year,he has had complaints about the quality of food served to him,as well as fears that his water and food may be mixed with sedatives. But during a recent visit made by the judge to his cell to verify his claims,he said according to sources: “Sir I know you won’t let me die.”

Kept in solitary confinement in a special cell next to the Special Sessions Court building inside the Arthur Road Jail,Kasab used to call for prayers so loudly during ramzan,say prison officials,that his guards termed him the ‘Imam of prison’. At other times,he sings old Hindi movie songs if he is not reading the Quran or the short-story books given to him by his lawyer Abbas Kazmi. While he looks disinterested in court proceedings now, with the two other co-accused — Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed — he jokes about and talks.