Amanda Hodge, South Asia correspondent | February 25, 2009
THE sole surviving terrorist involved in last year's deadly Mumbai attacks was charged today with waging war against India - the most serious offence under the country's legal code - and could face the death penalty if found guilty.
Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Amir Iman - known as Kasab - also faces 11 additional charges ranging from murder and terrorism, to immigration and cyber crimes, illegal weapons smuggling and even unlawfully entering a railway station without a ticket in a charge sheet that is believed to run to more than 5000 pages.
“Kasab has been booked under various acts including the Arms Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Explosives Act, Customs Act, waging war against the country and various other sections of the Railway Act,” joint police commissioner Rakesh Maria said.
“Entering the railway premises without a proper ticket is also one among the various offences registered against him.”
Indian police lodged the massive document with Mumbai’s Metropolitan Magistrates Court yesterday, three months after ten gunmen believed to be linked to Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba, attacked a string of targets in the financial capital including several luxury hotels, a crowded railway station, a cafe and a Jewish centre.
More than 170 people lost their lives and some 308 were injured during the November 26, 2008, attacks which brought the Indian financial capital to a standstill for more than 72 hours.
Nine of the ten attackers were also killed, leaving Kasab, 21, alone to face the Indian justice system.
Indian media reported yesterday that the charge sheet would name 19 others believed to have been involved in the attacks, including the suspected mastermind Zaki ur-Rehman Lakhvi - a founding member of the LeT.
A separate Pakistan government investigation this month admitted for the first time that the 26/11 attacks were partly planned and coordinated on its soil and identified an additional eight Pakistani nationals suspected of involvement.
While the Pakistan government maintains six of the eight have already been arrested, it has consistently refused India’s requests to extradite them to face trial in Mumbai saying instead that they will be tried in a closed Pakistani court.
Relations between India and Pakistan have significantly deteriorated since the November attacks, with India accusing Pakistani “state actors”, notably its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, of involvement.
The massive chargesheet is understood to detail evidence collected by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation into the attacks - including lengthy transcripts of conversations between the ten gunmen and their handlers, as well as security camera footage of the terrorists attacking Mumbai’s central railway station, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, where scores of people died.
Indian law requires that a charge sheet be filed in court against a suspect within 90 days of detention. Kasab was arrested on November 28. Special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam said yesterday the chargesheet would be forwarded from the Magistrates Court to the Special Court in coming days.
He said two other suspected LeT members, currently being held in custody in Mumbai on accusations of scouting for the group, would also be charged.
THE sole surviving terrorist involved in last year's deadly Mumbai attacks was charged today with waging war against India - the most serious offence under the country's legal code - and could face the death penalty if found guilty.
Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Amir Iman - known as Kasab - also faces 11 additional charges ranging from murder and terrorism, to immigration and cyber crimes, illegal weapons smuggling and even unlawfully entering a railway station without a ticket in a charge sheet that is believed to run to more than 5000 pages.
“Kasab has been booked under various acts including the Arms Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Explosives Act, Customs Act, waging war against the country and various other sections of the Railway Act,” joint police commissioner Rakesh Maria said.
“Entering the railway premises without a proper ticket is also one among the various offences registered against him.”
Indian police lodged the massive document with Mumbai’s Metropolitan Magistrates Court yesterday, three months after ten gunmen believed to be linked to Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba, attacked a string of targets in the financial capital including several luxury hotels, a crowded railway station, a cafe and a Jewish centre.
More than 170 people lost their lives and some 308 were injured during the November 26, 2008, attacks which brought the Indian financial capital to a standstill for more than 72 hours.
Nine of the ten attackers were also killed, leaving Kasab, 21, alone to face the Indian justice system.
Indian media reported yesterday that the charge sheet would name 19 others believed to have been involved in the attacks, including the suspected mastermind Zaki ur-Rehman Lakhvi - a founding member of the LeT.
A separate Pakistan government investigation this month admitted for the first time that the 26/11 attacks were partly planned and coordinated on its soil and identified an additional eight Pakistani nationals suspected of involvement.
While the Pakistan government maintains six of the eight have already been arrested, it has consistently refused India’s requests to extradite them to face trial in Mumbai saying instead that they will be tried in a closed Pakistani court.
Relations between India and Pakistan have significantly deteriorated since the November attacks, with India accusing Pakistani “state actors”, notably its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, of involvement.
The massive chargesheet is understood to detail evidence collected by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation into the attacks - including lengthy transcripts of conversations between the ten gunmen and their handlers, as well as security camera footage of the terrorists attacking Mumbai’s central railway station, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, where scores of people died.
Indian law requires that a charge sheet be filed in court against a suspect within 90 days of detention. Kasab was arrested on November 28. Special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam said yesterday the chargesheet would be forwarded from the Magistrates Court to the Special Court in coming days.
He said two other suspected LeT members, currently being held in custody in Mumbai on accusations of scouting for the group, would also be charged.
Source: The Australian
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