Kasab withdraws guilt plea

Kasab began the trial by retracting his confessional statement to the magistrate in March 2009, but had surprised everyone when on July 20, 2009, he pleaded guilty to committing massacre in Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST).

While entering that plea, which he had made after Pakistan officially acknowledged him to be one of its nationals, Kasab was careful enough to deny his role in all other incidents, such as killing of top police officials in Cama hospital lane, or of the police constable Tukaram Ombale who caught him at Chowpatti alive.

That plea was taken by the special court on record, but upon the insistence of the prosecution, which wanted to prove its case fully and finally, the trial continued.

On Friday, Kasab retracted that partial plea as well, alleging that it was made under police duress. It is not for the first time that Kasab has made a U-turn or speaking a white lie.
In his partial guilt plea, Kasab had accepted that he had attended an LeT camp in Pakistan, arrived in Mumbai from Karachi by sea route, fired at people at the CST and Cama hospital and fought a gun battle with policemen at Chowpatty.

As soon as the judge began asking him questions on the guilt plea made by him, Kasab complained that his court appointed lawyer K P Pawar was not helping him. But the judge rebuked him saying he had asked him to talk to his lawyer on Thursday but he did respond.