Court sets date for verdict on Kasab

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday set February 21 to pronounce its verdict on the confirmation of the death sentence awarded to Mohammad Ajmal Kasab for his role in the 26/11 terror attack in the city.

Justice Ranjana Desai and R.V. More said the judgment had already been delayed since there was a lot of paperwork and that compilation took time. The judges turned down the plea of defence lawyer Mubin Solkar to delay the verdict to February 28 as he was travelling abroad. They did not want to postpone the verdict further, they said.

On the same day, the court will also decide on Kasab's appeal against the death penalty awarded by a special court which on May 6 last year found him guilty of all 86 charges against him, including murdering seven people, abetting the murder of 159, conspiracy and waging war against the nation. Under the law, a death sentence awarded to an accused by trial court comes for confirmation before the high court.

The court will also pronounce its judgment on the appeal filed by the Maharashtra government challenging the acquittal of co-accused Faheem Ansari and Saabuddin Ahmad by the court of special judge M.L. Tahaliyani who had acquitted the duo on the grounds that the evidence was doubtful. They were charged with preparing maps with vital targets for Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.