Mumbai, August 07: It may be difficult to say whether Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, being tried in the 26/11 terror attacks case, is a terrorist of taste or tantrums. The Arthur Road prison authorities on Thursday complained to special judge ML Tahaliyani that Kasab on Wednesday refused to eat the food given to him and threw it into the dust bin.
Mumbai under attackAs Kasab, clad in a grey T-shirt and red track pants, stood in the dock, Tahaliyani said, “I have received a complaint against you. Why are you picking fights?” With his hands rested on the wooden railing, Kasab said, “Maine kisi se jhagda nahi kiya, Sir (I did not fight with anybody, Sir).” Tahaliyani then asked, “Khane ki thali kyu phenki tumne (Why did you throw away your plate of food)?” With his head lowered, almost like a young school boy, Kasab softly said, “Galti ho gayi (I made a mistake).” The judge then asked, “Will you repeat such a thing again?” Kasab only nodded his head from side to side with his eyes still lowered and sat down in the dock again.
Jail sources said that Kasab demands mutton twice a week and says that he finds the jail food unpalatable. He wants non-vegetarian food and biryani to eat. Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said that the food given to Kasab is the same as all other jail inmates. “He is given dal, rice, chapattis and some vegetable preparation everyday for meals,” said Nikam.
The court on Thursday allowed the application filed by the prosecution seeking the examination of three witnesses in the USA through video conferencing. The court said that examining the witnesses through video conferencing would save the government’s money and not delay the the trial.
Kasab’s advocate Abbas Kazmi had opposed the application saying that the witnesses may not answer questions satisfactorily and would not be liable to contempt of court if they commit perjury even. However, putting the apprehensions to rest, Tahaliyani said that the witnesses have submitted documents through the FBI and there was an agency to tackle them in the USA as well. The court will continue to examine Gautam Gadgil, assistant chemical analyser from the Forensic Science Laboratory who had examined bullets recovered, on Friday.
–Agencies