Appeal on Kasab's death penalty adjourned in SC; no date set

New Delhi, Jan 31: With Mumbai blast accused Ajmal Kasab's case still hanging in legal tangles, the Supreme Court has yet again adjourned an appeal hearing on Tuesday into the death sentence verdict. Kasab is the lone surviving terrorist captured in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The appeal for the hearing was adjourned after one of the two Supreme Court judges, who was due to hear the case, was unavailable on Tuesday. The date for the next hearing has not been set, yet.

The court-appointed lawyer for Kasab, Raju Ramachandran has been quoted as saying that his job was a "a call of duty" and refused to comment further on the case. Kasab's death sentence was cleared by the Bombay High Court. He had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court on this verdict. In case, he loses his appeal in the apex court, he can appeal for clemency from the President.

Ujjwal Nikam, who prosecuted Kasab in the Mumbai High Court is arguing that the terrorist should be awarded the death sentence no matter what. He stated, "This is the rarest of rare cases. He should not be entitled to any mercy."

Kasab had earlier pleaded not guilty in the Mumbai attacks in 2008, but after the prosecution produced fingerprint, DNA, eyewitness and television evidence that showed him opening fire at innocent people, he had no option, but to admit that he was one of the gunmen sent by the nabbed group, Lashkar-e-toiba. He flipped from his stand once again and said that the charges were framed on him by the police.

OneIndia News