MUMBAI: The identification parade of the lone arrested terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab would be held shortly. As many as 35 citizens who have seen Qasab fire indiscriminately on the night of Nov. 26 at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus (VT) and Opposite Cama Hospital, have come forward to identify him.
According to Crime Branch officials, the identification parade is likely to be held after Jan. 6.
The Mumbai Crime Branch officials said that the witnesses have shown their willingness to be present at the identification parade.
The numbers of the eyewitnesses may further increase too, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. Qasab is presently lodged in the Crime Branch lockup where he is under police remand till Jan. 6.
Police sources said that the Crime Branch might request further police remand of Qasab after the expiry of his remand. After that he would be moved to the high-security Arthur Road Prison where he would be made to stand for the identification parade, and through the method of using reflective glass, his one part of the body will be shown to the witnesses.
Constable Arun Jadhav, who impersonated as a dead person when Qasab and his accomplice Ismail Khan escaped with his police jeep from Cama Hospital is one of the key witness. K.S. Arsa, whose Skoda car the alleged terrorists hijacked later after the police jeep went out of fuel opposite the state government secretariat, is another important witness, who would also participate in the identification parade.
The police had intercepted the Skoda car at Girgaum Chopatty and engaged the duo in an encounter in which Ismail was shot dead while Qasab received minor injuries and was captured alive.
The Mumbai police have so far recorded statements of 200 persons and several hours of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) footage has been secured as part of the evidence collections procedure of the Nov. 26-29 terror attacks, which completed one month yesterday.
