Kasab continues to be in denial mode for third day

MUMBAI - Pakistan terror accused Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab carried on with his denials for the third day Tuesday by claiming that he worked as a cook and had never sailed in the fishing trawler ‘Kuber’ or a rubber dingy to reach Mumbai as said by the prosecution.

Replying to questions posed by Special Judge M.L. Tahalyani during the ongoing recording of his statement, Kasab denied having received any terror training at various camps in Pakistan or the names of his associates or his masters.

Kasab claimed that he was shown a newspaper picture of the Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi by the Mumbai police first time and had never seen him before.

He said he had reached India by the Samjhauta Express after buying a ticket and getting a confirmed berth for Rs.2,400.

He also denied that he was ever taken to the Nair Hospital by the police after his arrest in the early hours of Nov 27, 2008, from Girgaum Chowpatty. He also alleged that the police shot him in the hand inside a police station.

Kasab also said that he could understand Marathi and that many of the witnesses did not recognize him, they identified him only due to police pressure.

Earlier, on Monday and last Friday, Kasab had started retracting all his statements made before various authorities during the ongoing recording of his statement under Sec 313 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) before Special Judge Tahaliyani, a vital procedure that is undertaken after the prosecution completes examination of all its witnesses.

On the past two occasions, Kasab denied outright that he was involved in any manner with the 26/11 terror attacks, or had killed anybody in Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus or Cama Hospital.

He has also refuted the prosecution charge that he was involved in the killing of three top police officials - Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar, and that he was being framed by the police.

He has denied having ever seen an AK-47 rifle and claimed that he had actually come to India 20 days before the terror attacks to work in Bollywood films and was nabbed from Juhu Chowpatty.

He also said that he had never hijacked a Skoda car to go to Girgaum Chowpatty and was actually in police custody three days before 26/11, and was involved in the case only because he resembled one of the dead terrorists.

Kasab’s statements will be recorded for another two days before the Special Court goes on a vacation and the trial resumes Jan 6.

Kasab was the only terrorist to be captured alive of the 10 who attacked Mumbai Nov 26-19, 2008, killing 166 people and injuring 244.