Mumbai, September 20: Making it clear that it could not further wait for Ajmal Kasab to file an appeal against the trial court’s order sentencing him to death for his role in the 26/11 terror attack, the Bombay High Court Monday said it would proceed with confirmation of death sentence from October 11 or 18.
Government lawyer Ujjwal Nikam said the Pakistani terrorist had a threat perception and bringing him to court would be a great risk, to which the court suggested that Kasab could appear through the medium of video conference.
In a related development, an activist of right-wing organisation, Azad Hind Sena, made an allegation in the High Court saying that Ujjwal Nikam was a member of Kasab’s gang and that the 26/11 attacks were not at the behest of Pakistan but because of him (activist).
The court, however, refused to entertain him saying he had not filed intervention application and asked police to remove him from the court after Nikam informed that another bench had earlier banned him from filing vexatious petitions.
A bench headed by Justice Ranjana Desai told Kasab’s lawyer Farhana Shah that the 60-day period provided in law for filing an appeal had already lapsed.
The judges made it clear that they would go ahead with the confirmation of death sentence imposed on him by the lower court on a day-to-day basis from October 11 or October 18. In the meantime, Kasab can file an appeal.
—PTI—