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India to start trial of Mumbai attacker

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-23 14:57

MUMBAI -- Indian authorities will start Monday the trial of Mohammad Ajmal Amir alias Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist in the Mumbai attacks last November, along with two other suspects.

Due to security concern, the trial will be carried out through video conferencing at a special session court set up in the Arthur Jail in central Mumbai, where Kasab is being kept under maximum security.

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Sessions Court Judge Sahil Ramani will question Kasab a number of issues relating the 11,000-page chargesheet filed against him last month.

Kasab is expected to again ask for the provision of a Urdu version of the chargesheet, as he could not read English properly, after the sessions court had earlier rejected the request, said Indian official sources.

The prosecution had earlier sought the postponement of the trial from March 23 to April 23 citing lack of enough security for the makeshift court in the jail.

Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Mohammed, two other terror suspects belonging to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba group, are also due to be put on trial at a separate court.

The three, along with 44 others, have been accused of waging war against India, terrorist acts, murder, destruction of properties, cyber crimes, criminal conspiracy, among others.

Among the accused are nine terrorists killed during the attack. The others accused, including Pakistani nationals, are still at large.

More than 170 people were killed and over 300 wounded in the Mumbai attacks from November 26 to 29 staged by militants.