JOIN USKasab breaks down in court on seeing 26/11 images
The images of the captured Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab holding an AK-47 rifle inside Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus are clinching evidences of the Kasab’s culpability, which can straightaway take him to the gallows.
On Monday, D’Souza deposed before the special court conducting the 26/11 trial and submitted 100 photographs which he had shot on November 26 night. The photographs show both Kasab and his killed terrorist accomplice Abu Ismail firing indiscriminately at the people inside the CST.
D’Souza, during his deposition, identified Kasab, who was standing in the dock along with two Indian operatives of Pakistani terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), as one of the two terrorists who had opened fire inside the CST.
But more than his deposition, it was his photographs that was of supreme importance, as it was for the first time a documentary evidence proving Kasab’s identity as well as culpability has been placed before the court.
Designated judge M A Tahilyani examined the photographs and took 20 of them on record as evidence. Among these photographs, three show Kasab holding the AK-47 assault rifle and also firing with it.
Four other photographs are of Kasab and Abu Ismail firing at the people inside the rail terminus.
When the photographs were displayed in the court, Kasab was seen curiously looking at them from the dock since he was unaware that the photos were taken at the time of the attack.
However, during the afternoon recess, Kasab’s lawyer Abbas Kazmi showed him the album and his mood apparently changed. When the court proceedings began later in the day, Kasab was seen nervous.
The judge asked him what was the matter. Kasab replied that he was feeling dizzy. The judge initially thought Kasab was pretending as usual, and asked him to sit straight.
Kasab, however, was seen looking down on floor. After some time, when the judge again admonished him to sit proper, he looked up at the judge. His eyes had swollen and tears were rolling from his eyes. He wiped out tears and sat calm afterwards.
Kasab had seen the photos and come face to face with terror perpetrated by himself. It was a moment of reckoning for him, perhaps.
ence and carry the value of an eyewitness and therefore is regarded as documentary evidence,” special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told reporters.
Ten other photographs are of the main waiting hall of the CST during the time of the attack, while two others are of the slain policemen Ambadas Pawar and Shashank Shinde taking positions to fire at the terrorists. One photograph was of a bookseller at the terminus who was also killed in the attack.
Lensman’s account
Recalling the 26/11 horror, Sebastian said he was working with a newspaper whose head office was located just opposite the CST.
On 26/11 night, he came down from the building to go to the Taj Hotel, another site of the terror strikes. However, as he reached the gate of his office, he heard explosions inside the CST and ran to the suburban rail section of the terminus. As he went towards main waiting area of the CST, D’Souza said he saw two gunmen shooting but did not take the photographs due to lack of light.
He backtracked to the suburban rail section and took photographs of the gunmen from two platforms where he took cover, the photojournalist said.
Two other eyewitnesses, both police personnel, also identified Kasab as one of the gunmen at the CST. Harshad Kunju Patil, a constable attached to Vashi police station, said he had come to the CST from Vashi aboard a local train as he was deputed in a ladies compartment for security, when he heard explosions in the main waiting area of the terminus.