Prosecution submits draft charges against Kasab

The Mumbai police on Monday proposed to the special sessions court framing of 312 charges against lone arrested terrorist Ajmal Kasab....

The Mumbai police on Monday proposed to the special sessions court framing of 312 charges against lone arrested terrorist Ajmal Kasab,co-accused Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed,35 wanted accused all stated to be in Pakistan and nine deceased accused,alleged to be responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. While submitting the draft charges,the prosecution argued that all the acts committed by the accused were part of a criminal conspiracy hatched in Pakistan to commit murder,wage war against the Indian Government and to topple the state administration with a view to capture Jammu and Kashmir.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said,these charges are distinct and for each offense,a distinct charge has been made out after a through study of the entire evidence collected. The draft charges state that the accused are all members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and between December 2007 and November 2008,they entered into a criminal conspiracy and/or were members of the said criminal conspiracy whose object was to wage war against the Government of India.

Nikam said the main object of these terrorists was to organise training camps in Pakistan to impart training to youths in handling arms,ammunition and explosives for attacking important locations in India; to destabilise the Indian Government by engineering violence in different parts of India; create instability in India by the aforesaid subversive activities,weaken India8217;s economic might; kill foreign nationals who were present in India for deterring foreign citizens from either investing in India or keeping relations with India; and adversely affect harmony between Hindus and Muslims in India.

The prosecution also read out evidence against Ansari and Ahmed,which is mostly through the confession statement given by Kasab. The statement says,8221;while leaving Karachi for Mumbai,Kasab and his accompanying gunmen were given maps of Mumbai by LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and told that they were drawn by Ansari and Ahmed. When asked why the duo was not joining them in the attack,Lakhvi told him that they were in Indian custody for attacking a CRPF camp at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.8221;

The draft charges are the first step for the trial to begin and now,the defense lawyers of Kasab and co-accused will put forth their arguments against the charges. The prosecution,in order to complete the trial at the earliest,will also be moving an affidavit under section 296 of the Criminal Procedure Code CrPC wherein the defense can accept certain things which are undeniable like the killing of 166 people,injuring of 234 and damage and destruction of property worth crores.