MUMBAI: The trial of the lone surviving gunman in the Mumbai attacks will continue despite his surprise admission of guilt, a judge ruled Thursday, ensuring that the young Pakistani will be prosecuted for all 86 charges including murder and conspiracy to wage war against India.
Ajmal Qasab, 21, unexpectedly confessed Monday to taking part in the November attack that paralyzed India’s financial capital and killed 166 people.
The court had delayed a decision on whether to accept his confession and guilty plea, with prosecutors arguing that his statement was incomplete and accusing Qasab of seeking to avoid the death penalty. In response, Qasab said he was willing to be hanged for his actions.
Judge M.L. Tahiliyani decided Thursday to accept Qasab’s confession as evidence, but ordered the trial to continue because the accused did not address all the charges against him.
Qasab admitted spraying gunfire into the crowd at Mumbai’s main train station, but denied killing four Mumbai policemen whose deaths remain touchstones of grief and anger in India.
The gunman also linked the attack to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant outfit formed in the 1980s with the blessing of Pakistan’s intelligence services, bolstering India’s charges that Pakistan is not doing enough to clamp down on terrorist groups behind the well-planned attack.
Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam was pleased with the judge’s decision, saying his position had been “vindicated.”
He said he wants to wrap up proceedings in a month.
