Kasab guilty, Fahim and Sheikh acquitted

ML Tahiliani, the trial judge of the special court appointed to conduct the trial of 26/11 terror accused Ajmal Amir Kasab and co-accused Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Sheikh has held prime accused and Pakistani national Ajmal Kasab guilty on all 86 charges of murder and waging war against the Indian state but allowed co-accused Ansari and Sabahuddin to get away scot free.

The judge read out the operative part of the judgement which runs into 522 pages.

The court demolished the clumsy attempts of the prosecution to bring Ansari and Sabahuddin to book. Amongst other things it was pointed out by the court that the hand drawn map apparently drawn by Ansari and found in the pocket of one of the dead terrorists was as fresh as yesterday. The slain terrorist's trousers were completely stained by blood and yet the map miraculously remained untouched.

The public prosecutor, Ujwal Nikam, has said he will appeal against the acquittal of both the accused.

Ajmal Kasab apparently went through the entire proceedings with an impassive face. It is not clear if the reason for this may be the fact that the judgement was read out in English. Ajmal dressed in white for the occasion, which apparently is his normal mode of dressing for all court proceedings. Once brought into court he kept his eyes pointed at the floor and never looked up throughout the proceedings.

Kasab, a resident of Faridkot in Pakistan's Punjab province, is charged with killing 166 people, including 25 foreigners, and injuring 304 others at the instance of Paksiatni sectarian and terrorist outfit, the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).