Kasab charged, pleads not guilty

Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, captured alive during the Mumbai terror strikes last year, on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to the charges — including waging a
war on India and killing innocent people — framed against him by the special court here.

“Yeh sab galat hai, mujhe kabool nahin hai (these charges are wrong, they are not acceptable to me),” Kasab said in his plea. He added that he wanted to face the trial.

Two Indian accused, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, also pleaded not guilty to the charges and sought to go on trial.

Designated judge M L Tahilyani explained all the 86 charges framed against the accused in Hindi, laced with Urdu words such as sajish (conspiracy), aarop (accusation) and jung (war).

When Kasab was asked his age, he promptly replied, “21.” At this, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said: “The cat is out of the bag.” Kasab then said, “mujhpe yakeen nahin hai to main kya karoon (If you do not have faith in me, what shall I do?).

However, the judge rebuked Kasab, asking him not to make any comment and address only the court. It was Kasab’s earlier claim that he was a minor that resulted in delay of about a month in commencing the trial.

The charges framed against Kasab include waging a war against the nation, murder, attempt to murder, conspiracy, damaging railway property, entering India without valid passport, carrying arms and RDX, planting bombs and firing at various places in Mumbai.