Terrorist negotiated Kasab's release with Israel Ambassador
Amidst their raging battle with security forces during the Mumbai attacks, one of the terrorists had called up Israeli Ambassador in the US asking him to use his good offices with India to secure the release of Ajmal Kasab failing which he threatened to kill the Jewish hostages in Nariman House.
This was revealed on Tuesday in a special court trying the 26/11 terror strike cases through CDs containing recorded telephonic conversation between the terrorist inside Nariman House, a Jewish shelter in south Mumbai, and the Israeli Ambassador intercepted by Mumbai police. Without naming Kasab, the lone Pakistani gunman captured alive, terrorist Babar Imran told the Ambassador "Usko chhod do warna hum sab rumali ko mar denge (Release him or we will kill all hostages)".
The Ambassador, who was talking to the terrorist through an interpreter asked Imran, "What is your friend's (Kasab) name?" To this, Imran replied "Aap Ko Pata Hai Aur Police Ko Pata Hai (you are aware and so is the police)." It is the case of police that terrorists were kept informed about the happenings in Mumbai by their Pakistan-based handlers who were watching the operations on television. Imran had the knowledge that Kasab was captured by police and he tried to negotiate his release through the Israeli Ambassador.
In another conversation, Imran asked his Pakistan handler about the happenings at other terror sites -- Hotel Taj, Hotel Oberoi-trident and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The handler told him, "Kuch log shaheed ho gaye hain aur kuch Allah to pyare ho gaye hain, bahut bhag daud ho rahi hai, neta logon ki to surat hi utar gayi hai (some have attained martyrdom, some have been killed, people are running helter-skelter and politicians have a sullen look)."
The handler listed some demands to Imran while giving the telephone numbers of TV news channels and asked him to talk to the media about them, but directed him not to reveal the number of terrorists engaged in the operation as also the number of hostages taken. Following a request by prosecutor Nikam, the court asked the media not to report the demands raised by the terrorists.
In another conversation, the handler talked to one of the Jewish hostages, Noorma, and asked her to tell the media that they would soon be released if their demands were considered. The handler also told Noorma not to reveal to the media how many terrorists were in Nariman House and also the number of hostages there.
Eight persons, including three women and a NSG commando, were killed by terrorists at Nariman House.
