MUMBAI: The lone arrested terrorist in the Nov. 26-29 Mumbai terror attacks, Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Qasab yesterday told a magistrate that he would like to be defended by a Pakistani lawyer.
Qasab, for the third time since his arrest, was not taken to the magistrate’s court for police custody remand. Yesterday, Magistrate N. Shrimangale was requested to hold court proceedings in the Mumbai crime branch headquarters situated in the police commissioner’s office in central Mumbai.
The police citing security reasons told the magistrate that the accused cannot be produced in the regular court. Accepting the police request, the magistrate visited the Crime Branch lockup where Qasab is lodged.
The magistrate after hearing the prosecution counsel and based on the earlier reports seeking time for more investigations, remanded Qasab to further police custody till Jan. 6.
According to Indian legal procedures, charges are framed against an accused, and based on evidences and documents, if found guilty he is awarded punishment. In order to dispense with impartial and fair justice, the magistrate asked Qasab three questions. Replying to one of them, Qasab sought legal assistance from Pakistan.
Qasab did not refuse the services of Indian lawyers, but, however, he had been constantly trying to get Pakistani lawyers. Asked by the magistrate if he had any complaints against the police, Qasab said that the police had not forced him on any aspects or ill-treated or tortured him. However, he told the magistrate that his only demand was that he be provided legal assistance from Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the local English daily DNA reported yesterday, that the federal government has cleared a proposal to present Qasab on television and telecast it live worldwide.
Referring to an unidentified intelligence officer, the paper said that Qasab would narrate details of his role in the Mumbai terror attacks. The senior intelligence officer has told the newspaper that this bold gambit was being planned to counter the stubborn denials of the Pakistani establishment about Qasab’s nationality.
