Mumbai attacks gunman Ajmal Kasab hanged
Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab. — File Photo by AP
MUMBAI: The sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, was executed on Wednesday, nearly four years after 166 people were killed in a three-day rampage through India’s financial capital.
Pakistan-born Kasab was hanged at Yerwada jail in Pune in the western state of Maharashtra after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his pleas for mercy earlier this month.
“Kasab was transferred to Yerwada jail two days ago. He was hanged at 7:30 this morning (0200 GMT),” Maharashtra home minister R.R. Patil announced to reporters in Mumbai. “His execution is a fitting tribute to the victims of Mumbai attacks.”
The 25-year-old Kasab was one of 10 gunmen who laid siege to the city in attacks that began on November 26, 2008, and lasted nearly three days. It was the deadliest militant onslaught on Indian soil since independence.
He was sentenced to death in May 2010 after he was found guilty of a string of charges, including waging war against India, murder and terrorist acts.
During the attacks, the heavily-armed gunmen stormed targets in Mumbai including luxury hotels, a Jewish centre, a hospital and a bustling train station.
Kasab initially pleaded not guilty at his trial but later confessed, admitting he was one of the gunmen sent by the LeT.
At his trial, the prosecution produced fingerprint, DNA, eyewitness and TV footage evidence showing him opening fire and throwing grenades at Mumbai’s main railway station in the bloodiest episode of the attacks.
When his trial began in 2009, Kasab at first appeared relaxed, joking or smiling at lawyers and reporters.
But he seemed increasingly sullen, withdrawn and even asleep as the trial progressed, prompting fears for his mental state. He showed no emotion in the dock when the verdict was handed down.
Kasab appealed in the Supreme Court, claiming he did not receive a fair trial but his petition was struck down in August.
During his appeal, Kasab argued that he was denied proper legal representation and that some charges against him were not proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
“I was denied a fair trial,” Kasab said in a statement when his appeal hearing began in January. “I may be guilty of killing people and carrying out a terrorist act but I am not guilty of waging war against the state.”
Pakistan informed about Kasab hanging: India
India’s government said it informed Islamabad in advance of the decision to hang Kasab, but their Pakistani counterparts refused to accept the letter.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters in New Delhi he had even ended up sending a fax to Islamabad after the letter was rebuffed. Other officials said a similar message had been couriered to Kasab’s family.
“The external affairs ministry gave the letter to Pakistan but Pakistan did not accept it. Then we faxed the letter,” Shinde said.
The 25-year-old Kasab, from the village of Faridkot in the Punjab region, was hanged at Yerwada jail in the Indian city of Pune after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his pleas for mercy earlier this month.
India’s Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said the government had followed diplomatic protocol by informing Pakistan in advance about the execution.
“We attempted to convey to the Pakistan foreign office that this decision had been taken and the execution will be done this morning,” Khurshid said.
“Since those missives were not accepted by the foreign office, by fax we indicated the information to them.”
Prithviraj Chavan, the local state chief minister, said Kasab had been buried inside Yerwada jail while Indian Home Secretary R. K. Singh said his family had been kept informed.
In a statement carried by Pakistan’s state PTV channel, foreign ministry spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan was quoted as saying that “the Indian deputy high commissioner informed us about the execution” of Kasab.
“Pakistan’s stance is very clear. Pakistan condemns all forms of terrorism,” he added. “Pakistan is cooperating with the international community.”
Though my ego gets satisfied by this news..My heart weeps for an unfortunate life lost… Ajmal Kasab is just a robot…
old men sacrificing young men for their ego
Good to know that we(the commoners of both of the nations) think alike. We should be thinking about our living and about not harming others first but not the abstract things like religions and all. Rather than the post which tried to twist the happenings, I liked the comments. Thanks to you all.
India is celebrating his hanging nny civilized true Democratic government would have given him a life in jail so that he could think about his actions and may be the truth could have come out. But now he is gone he paid the price but this made India no different that Taliban. senseless killing tit for tat , where are the so called teaching of Ghadi all the teaching of peace gone in the drain. Bottom line India so called world largest democracy is sham and now the whole world knows about it. They have set a standard for other Asian countries to follow for every problem hanging is the solution, instead of Ghandi teaching of peace good job India you are on the right track.
At least Finally, Pakistan accepted KASAB its Native !!!!!!!!!!!
A good operation by indians, so that the news media did not get a chance to take the limelights. Here also similar secrecy should be followed when high profile things are executed. Very good
Moaning moaning, winging winging……get a life guys, there are more important things in life then us fighting here for nothing, lets governments to deal with mess they created for us. We need to concentrate to improve our lives, spread love and keep things simple.
“An eye for an eye, leaves the whole world blind” – Mahatma Gandhi, however, there is only one heart and one life… Why are the human rights activists who talk about abolishing capital punishment, concerned about only one human who was hanged, why don’t they care about the 166 people killed by his inhumane act? How many wifes lost their husbands?how many children lost their parents?how many parents lost their sons/daughters?. You are talking about human rights, aren’t these people who died in the mad attack by Kasab had the rite to live?
death penalty should not be given to anyone least by any government of any country .
Government are formed to governed the people not to kill them.
Culprits should brought to justice but we cannot take away someone’s life . Death is not the solution of any thing ,its just the mode to escape the reality . The Person who committed crime should be made realized about what he has done and should be punished accordingly.
Everyone should be given second chance .
Second chance to do what? Another Massacre? Did he know that killing innocent people is crime not just by Law but also my Quran? And it was not in some fist of anger that he killed people. He came to India to kill people in cold blood. I think it was a right decision but taken too late. There should have been a public telecast of his hanging to make sure other people get a lesson and think 100 times before doing what he did.
Justice done or not. Well for those who lost their close ones in Mumbai violence and for many Indians and people all over the world, Kasab’s hanging might be justified. Im an Indian and when I saw the bloodshed in 2008, even I wanted him to be hanged. But while today reading the background of his family, his upbringing and the fact that he was just in his early 20′s when he committed the terrorist act, makes me think that the real reason behind all this was poverty and his exploitation by the so called trainers. I read somewhere that he was promised 1 lac rupees to do the job. He and his family must have been extremely poor that he agreed to risk his life at such a young age for such a petty amount, and for whom, his family, his younger sister and brother. Human beings are not animals but circumstances force them to behave like one. If people have jobs, a decent income to make their basic necessities meet, no one will take such a route. Kasab was perhaps too young to understand the route he took…and unfortunately there was no turning back for him…I feel it was only his family condition which forced him to take the gun. Like any other guy, if he had resources for education, or even to take up a vocational course and get into a job, he wouldn’t have taken this route. For that matter, no one would. People play politics with human mind. They forget to that they also have to answer the god one day. Somehow, I am not sure how I’m feeling today, but am not happy to hear too much about kasab’s hanging and feel sorry for the poor guy and his family.
Justice done or not. Well for those who lost their close ones in Mumbai violence and for many Indians and people all over the world, Kasab’s hanging might be justified. Im an Indian and when I saw the bloodshed in 2008, even I wanted him to be hanged. But while today reading the background of his family, his upbringing and the fact that he was just in his early 20′s when he committed the terrorist act, makes me think that the real reason behind all this was poverty and his exploitation by the so called trainers. I read somewhere that he was promised 1 lac rupees to do the job. He and his family must have been extremely poor that he agreed to do risk his life at such a young age for such a petty amount, and for whom, his family, his younger sister and brother. Human beings are not animals but circumstances force them to behave like one. If people have jobs, a decent income to make their basic necessities meet, no one will take such a route. Kasab was perhaps too young to understand the route he took…and unfortunately there was no turning back for him…I feel it was only his family condition which forced him to take the gun. Like any other guy, if he had resources for education, or even to take up a vocational course and get into a job, he wouldn’t have taken this route. For that matter, no one would. People play politics with human mind. They forget to that they also have to answer the god one day. Somehow, I am not sure how I’m feeling today, but am not happy to hear too much about kasab’s hanging and feel sorry for the poor guy and his family.
Good job India!
Regards,
a Pakistani.
Modi should also be hanged.
only a fool can ask abt it..the only fault of modi was that he was unable to manage the situation…because it was so very widespread….it seems you havent learnt anything from kasab chapter…
Anyone who did wrong should be punished, no exception for Ajmal Kasab. However it would have been far too good if Indian Authority allowed an investigation of Ajmal Kasab by Pakistani officials. Kasab was a non state actor if he did what is said about him then hanging was the only punishment suiting his crime otherwise …..
Thank you Dawn for carrying out this article in your paper. This is proof that freedom of speech exists in Pakistan despite all the short comings of both governments. It is the solemn duty of the press to present the facts. Thank you!
Dawn is only presenting one side of the story and suppresing the other.
not every story has two sides
Kasab should not be treated as a terrorist. He was like any poor and uneducated youth and was, therefore, easily lured to follow a wrong path for money.
I feel sad about Ajmal Kasab..He was a victim. He was used by some people for their selfish motives…Like Ajmal Kasab many innocent people are brain washed and cruelly pulled to death in the name of Jihad. This action is really against the Allah the most merciful and those real culprits will go to hell for years.
Any suggestion on who could be behind this? I meant who made him a victim? Thanks!
I hope whole of the world thinks like you in near future. Blood can never satisfy anybody’s thirst. It is the war industries that are creating all this nuisance to gain from the veiled war between two of the most beautiful nations of the world.
who are the master mind against this, Ajmal Qasab only used, real culprit, the big boos is safe…… any media dare to enclosed this game of death.
Rightky pointed out. Waiting for disclosure of the actors.
I was worrying about his innocent MOTHER. Only she lost her son.
Good thinking Kumar. Please pray with OBL’s mother also:-( as he also has an innocent mother!
So sad when a religion and nation thinks attacking innocent people is OK. People of these nation should wake up and make sure these brutal killing will not happen. Tolerance to other religion will make peace to the world.
Pakistan needs to be less violent as a country and as a Muslim country.
what u pakistan say about ajaml kasab .what is your reaction after his hanginh, do u think he is a terrorist…..
Kasab was a poor, uneducated, misguided village boy. He was more a victim of terrorism than a perpetrator. My heart goes out to his parents who will spend the rest of their lives thinking of their beloved son swinging on the noose. The Indian society was baying for his blood and the govt obliged them. Of course, he couldn’t have been kept alive. Or else there would have been an ever present threat of other terrorists taking hostages to get him released (remember IC-814, Kandahar?). I pray for the day when reasons for killing people (either on the streets of Mumbai or on the gallows in Yeravada jail) will cease to exist. Amen.
That poor , uneducated village boy did not steal something. He killed people in cold blood.Indian society is not blood thirsty. But justice was needed for those who died from his hands and for the people who lost their loved ones. Indian government set the right standard. This type of Massacre will not be tolerated.
Confessional statement of Ajmal Kasab,…..!!!!
“We were told that our big brother India is so rich and we are dying of poverty and hunger. My father sells food on a stall in Lahore and we did not even get enough food to eat from his earnings. I was promised that once they knew that I was successful in my operation, they would give Rs 1,50,000 [almost USD 4,000] to my family. Please do not tell anyone that I am caught alive otherwise they will kill me. They had told us that they would shoot us even if we returned to Pakistan. If you give me regular meals and money I will do the same that I did for them. Jihad is about killing and getting killed and becoming famous. Come, kill and die after a killing spree. By this one will become famous and will also make God proud.”
I am sad and sympathetic about young boy Kasab. Instead of him I wish the persons who brainwashed and trained young boys like Kasab to kill innocent people in the name of religion should be stoned to death. India doesn’t encourage death penalty and it is the first execution after 2004.
This guy definitely looks like an Indian. You can tell he is wearing a rakhi like band in his arm and if he was really Pakistani then the lawyers should have been allowed to interview him or talk to him. In order to hide the only evidence left which would prove that he is Indian, they hanged him!
Still fooling yourself.
this is the worst conspiracy theory till date from you pakistanis.
you are deluded
Being an Indian living in the US,I haven’t seen one pakistani bring untruthful or one with a radical ideology. All my pakistani friends are well educated and are against radical islam.
This case of Kasab clearly seem to be a brainwash by hate mongers.Poor Kasab,dead for no reason and killed mumbaites for no reason,end of the day.
Just ask them what they think about Mumtaz Qadri and come back and tell us….