Mumbai: Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, 25, the only terrorist caught
alive during the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, was hanged at Pune's Yerwada
Jail at 7:30 this morning, in a swift and secret execution.
Kasab was buried inside the premises of Pune's Yerawada Central Jail shortly after he was hanged, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said..
Kasab was informed of his death four days before his hanging and had been moved from his secure cell in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail to Pune two days ago. The Yerwada jail is one of two in Maharashtra equipped to handle execution by hanging.
It was the first time a capital sentence had been carried out in India since 2004.
Sources in government said Pakistan had rejected a a letter informing of Kasab's hanging couriered as well as faxed to it through its high commission in New Delhi on November 20. "Our obligation to inform them has been fulfilled," foreign minister Salman Khurshid said.
Mr Khurshid said that there was no claim so far for the body from Pakistan. "If there is, we will consider it," he said.
Home minister Sushil Shinde said: "Ajmal Kasab was hanged at 7:30am. It took the Maharashtra government less than two weeks to hang Kasab after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy petition on November 5. Two days later, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde signed on the file. It was sent to the Maharashtra government on November 8 and November 21, today, was fixed as the date of execution."
Maharashtra government sources told NDTV that the process laid down in the jail manual was followed and Kasab was offered the option of contacting his family know as well as put down his will, but he declined these.
An hour later after the hanging, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil announced it officially and said, "I sincerely believe this is a tribute to all innocent people and the officers who lost their lives in the Mumbai attacks."
166 people were killed over three days of terror, when 10 men from Pakistan sailed into Mumbai in November 2008. They split into pairs and spent 72 hours targeting the city's landmarks. A hospital was attacked; so was a Jewish centre. Kasab was the only terrorist who was caught alive.
The abiding image is of him captured on a CCTV camera at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station, strapped with ammunition and holding a deadly Kalashnikov rifle. He was intercepted at Girgaum Chowpatty by assistant police inspector Tukaram Ombale, who was killed while grappling with him.
Mr Patil recounted that the death sentence handed to him by a special trial court was upheld both by the High Court and the Supreme Court; Kasab faced charges ranging from treason to waging war against India.
President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected Kasab's mercy petition on November 5, but the execution was kept under wraps and the announcement was made only after he was hanged. The Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist was shifted from Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail to Pune's Yerwada Jail this Monday. Yerwada Jail is one of the two jails in Maharashtra where prisoners on death row are hanged.
The execution comes one day before the Winter Session of Parliament begins and five days before the fourth anniversary of a day that will haunt Mumbai for many days. The BJP's Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it was "better late than never."
Since his arrest in 2008, Kasab was kept in a high-security bulletproof cell in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail. He had moved the Supreme Court on February 14 this year against the High Court verdict of October 10 last year, which upheld a lower court order sentencing the terrorist to death. The lower court had pronounced its judgement on May 6, 2010, 18 months after he was captured.
Kasab's mercy petition was filed first with the Maharashtra Home Ministry, which rejected it in September, and forwarded it to the Union Home Ministry. Then, In October, the Home Ministry recommended that President Pranab Mukherjee reject his plea.
In his plea before the Supreme Court Kasab had said that he had not been given a fair trial. But the Supreme Court had rejected that contention and Justice CK Prasad had observed, "I am more than certain that the planning and conspiracy to commit the crime were hatched in Pakistan, the perpetrators of crime were Pakistani trained at different centres in that country, and the devastation which took place at various places in the city of Mumbai, were executed by the appellant in furtherance thereof."
There had been an overwhelming demand among people in India since 2008 that Kasab be executed for his role in the Mumbai attacks.
Also, as Kasab's trial continued, the cost of keeping him alive had been a huge burden on the state exchequer. While the Government has spent over Rs. 5 crores on his high security cell at Mumbai's Arthur Road jail, his security, entrusted to the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), has cost the state several lakhs too.
Here are some reactions on the hanging of Kasab:
Sushilkumar Shinde, Union home minister: Ajmal Kasab was hanged in Yerwada at 7:30 this morning. The President had rejected Kasab's mercy plea on November 5. I signed it on the 6th and the Maharshtra government signed it on the 8th. The same day, we decided that he will be hanged on the 21st.
Indian mission in Islamabad informs Pakistan govt about Kasab's hanging through letter. Pakistan refuses to take the letter, which was then sent through fax.
R R Patil, Maharashtra home minister: This was an attack on our country. Many of our citizens were killed, including our brave officers. Nine terrorists were killed but one was caught alive. The special 26/11 court awarded death penalty to Kasab, High Court and Supreme Court upheld it. He filed a mercy petition, but was rejected and he was hanged at 7:30 am this morning. This is a tribute to people and police officers who lost their lives during the attack.
Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam: It is victory for the country. By hanging Kasab, we have paid homage to all those policemen and innocent persons who lost their lives.
Narendra Modi, Gujarat chief minister: What about Afzal Guru, who attacked Parliament, our temple of democracy, in 2001? That offence predates Kasab's heinous act by many years.
Omar Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister: Gotta hand it to the Govts at the centre & in Mumbai for the mature way they handled this. Shows we can still keep a secret if we need to."
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP leader: The country expects our government to send such strong message and give such punishment to those who have bloodied their hands with the death of hundreds of innocent people.
BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain: Better late than never. Kasab's hanging will act as a balm on the wounds of the people of Mumbai but their wounds are still fresh. They will get relief only when Kasab's handler's across the border are brought to justice.
Victim's wife: I would like to thank the President. However, it got delayed but we did get justice. I am happy that it (the hanging) was done secretly, otherwise some human rights people would have opposed it.
Union home secretary R K Singh: Family members of Kasab informed about the hanging through a letter sent by courier.
Images
Videos
Pakistan has been informed about Kasab's hanging: Shinde
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 1
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 2
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 3
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 4
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 5
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 6
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 7
Kasab was buried inside the premises of Pune's Yerawada Central Jail shortly after he was hanged, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said..
Kasab was informed of his death four days before his hanging and had been moved from his secure cell in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail to Pune two days ago. The Yerwada jail is one of two in Maharashtra equipped to handle execution by hanging.
Sources in government said Pakistan had rejected a a letter informing of Kasab's hanging couriered as well as faxed to it through its high commission in New Delhi on November 20. "Our obligation to inform them has been fulfilled," foreign minister Salman Khurshid said.
Mr Khurshid said that there was no claim so far for the body from Pakistan. "If there is, we will consider it," he said.
Home minister Sushil Shinde said: "Ajmal Kasab was hanged at 7:30am. It took the Maharashtra government less than two weeks to hang Kasab after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy petition on November 5. Two days later, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde signed on the file. It was sent to the Maharashtra government on November 8 and November 21, today, was fixed as the date of execution."
Maharashtra government sources told NDTV that the process laid down in the jail manual was followed and Kasab was offered the option of contacting his family know as well as put down his will, but he declined these.
An hour later after the hanging, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil announced it officially and said, "I sincerely believe this is a tribute to all innocent people and the officers who lost their lives in the Mumbai attacks."
166 people were killed over three days of terror, when 10 men from Pakistan sailed into Mumbai in November 2008. They split into pairs and spent 72 hours targeting the city's landmarks. A hospital was attacked; so was a Jewish centre. Kasab was the only terrorist who was caught alive.
The abiding image is of him captured on a CCTV camera at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station, strapped with ammunition and holding a deadly Kalashnikov rifle. He was intercepted at Girgaum Chowpatty by assistant police inspector Tukaram Ombale, who was killed while grappling with him.
Mr Patil recounted that the death sentence handed to him by a special trial court was upheld both by the High Court and the Supreme Court; Kasab faced charges ranging from treason to waging war against India.
President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected Kasab's mercy petition on November 5, but the execution was kept under wraps and the announcement was made only after he was hanged. The Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist was shifted from Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail to Pune's Yerwada Jail this Monday. Yerwada Jail is one of the two jails in Maharashtra where prisoners on death row are hanged.
The execution comes one day before the Winter Session of Parliament begins and five days before the fourth anniversary of a day that will haunt Mumbai for many days. The BJP's Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it was "better late than never."
Since his arrest in 2008, Kasab was kept in a high-security bulletproof cell in Mumbai's Arthur Road jail. He had moved the Supreme Court on February 14 this year against the High Court verdict of October 10 last year, which upheld a lower court order sentencing the terrorist to death. The lower court had pronounced its judgement on May 6, 2010, 18 months after he was captured.
Kasab's mercy petition was filed first with the Maharashtra Home Ministry, which rejected it in September, and forwarded it to the Union Home Ministry. Then, In October, the Home Ministry recommended that President Pranab Mukherjee reject his plea.
In his plea before the Supreme Court Kasab had said that he had not been given a fair trial. But the Supreme Court had rejected that contention and Justice CK Prasad had observed, "I am more than certain that the planning and conspiracy to commit the crime were hatched in Pakistan, the perpetrators of crime were Pakistani trained at different centres in that country, and the devastation which took place at various places in the city of Mumbai, were executed by the appellant in furtherance thereof."
There had been an overwhelming demand among people in India since 2008 that Kasab be executed for his role in the Mumbai attacks.
Also, as Kasab's trial continued, the cost of keeping him alive had been a huge burden on the state exchequer. While the Government has spent over Rs. 5 crores on his high security cell at Mumbai's Arthur Road jail, his security, entrusted to the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), has cost the state several lakhs too.
Here are some reactions on the hanging of Kasab:
Sushilkumar Shinde, Union home minister: Ajmal Kasab was hanged in Yerwada at 7:30 this morning. The President had rejected Kasab's mercy plea on November 5. I signed it on the 6th and the Maharshtra government signed it on the 8th. The same day, we decided that he will be hanged on the 21st.
Indian mission in Islamabad informs Pakistan govt about Kasab's hanging through letter. Pakistan refuses to take the letter, which was then sent through fax.
R R Patil, Maharashtra home minister: This was an attack on our country. Many of our citizens were killed, including our brave officers. Nine terrorists were killed but one was caught alive. The special 26/11 court awarded death penalty to Kasab, High Court and Supreme Court upheld it. He filed a mercy petition, but was rejected and he was hanged at 7:30 am this morning. This is a tribute to people and police officers who lost their lives during the attack.
Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam: It is victory for the country. By hanging Kasab, we have paid homage to all those policemen and innocent persons who lost their lives.
Narendra Modi, Gujarat chief minister: What about Afzal Guru, who attacked Parliament, our temple of democracy, in 2001? That offence predates Kasab's heinous act by many years.
Omar Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister: Gotta hand it to the Govts at the centre & in Mumbai for the mature way they handled this. Shows we can still keep a secret if we need to."
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP leader: The country expects our government to send such strong message and give such punishment to those who have bloodied their hands with the death of hundreds of innocent people.
BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain: Better late than never. Kasab's hanging will act as a balm on the wounds of the people of Mumbai but their wounds are still fresh. They will get relief only when Kasab's handler's across the border are brought to justice.
Victim's wife: I would like to thank the President. However, it got delayed but we did get justice. I am happy that it (the hanging) was done secretly, otherwise some human rights people would have opposed it.
Union home secretary R K Singh: Family members of Kasab informed about the hanging through a letter sent by courier.
Images
Videos
Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil confirmed that Ajmal Kasab was hanged at Pune's Yerwada Jail at 7:30 am.
Pakistan has been informed about Kasab's hanging: Shinde
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 1
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 2
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 3
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 4
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 5
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 6
Exclusive: The Kasab Confession Part - 7
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