NEW DELHI: India's Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence for Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone survivor of a group of militants who attacked the country's financial capital, Mumbai, in 2008 killing 166 people.

“We are left with no option but to award death penalty,” the two judges said in a court order.

“The primary and foremost offence committed by Kasab is waging war against the government of India.”

“The Supreme Court has today dismissed the appeal of Mohammad Kasab,” Gopal Subramaniam, a lawyer for the prosecution, told reporters after the verdict.

The judges had opened the appeal by Kasab, who is being held in a maximum-security prison in Mumbai, in January.

After losing his Supreme Court petition, Kasab is expected to lodge a final appeal for clemency with the president.

Kasab, a Pakistani national, was found guilty on more than 80 charges in May 2010, including murder and waging war on India, and was sentenced to death by hanging.

He was filmed walking through Mumbai's main train station carrying an AK-47 and a knapsack on his back during an attack in which nearly 60 people were gunned down.

It was part of a series of coordinated strikes on key landmarks in the city, including luxury hotels and a Jewish centre.

The three-day rampage led to an increase in tension between India and Pakistan, causing a temporary suspension of peace talks.