The Mumbai police crime branch late Thursday received permission from the Maharashtra government allowing it to interrogate 26/11 lone surviving gunman from Pakistan Ajmal Kasab in the presence of Abu Jundal, believed to be the handler for the Mumbai terror attack.

High-ranking police sources disclosed late in the day that the state government had managed to gain permission from the Supreme Court, dismissing a section of media reports stating that the ‘face-to-face encounter’ has already taken place as baseless, they say said that “a proper questionnaire with the help of experts from psychology was still being prepared.” The city police on Monday had moved an application at the state home department seeking a dual-interrogation of the two-high-profile accused, ‘face-to-face,’ in presence of criminal psychologists.

As per information available, Syed Zaibuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, a native of Maharashtra's Beed district as per the information gathered by various agencies dealing with investigations into terrorist attacks in country had trained gun-men in local language along with briefing them on south Mumbai topology.

In 2008, Pakistan-based terrorists had launched a frontal attack in congested areas and five-star hotels, spewing out death on sight and left a blood-soaked trail of 166 bodies and 300 people injured. The attackers in their bid to grab headlines had also attacked a Jewish community-centre.

Jundal's after being taken into custody by Delhi Special Unit, was handed over to Mumbai police on July 21. His custody in Mumbai police will expire on August 13.

Jundal, incidentally is also being interrogated in several others cases including Aurangabad arms haul case (2006) and German Bakery blast case.