Mumbai attack: Supreme Court debunks Kasab claim

New Delhi -  The Supreme Court Wednesday debunked Mumbai terror attack convict and Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab's contention that he was not a part of the overarching conspiracy of waging war against the Indian government but merely an agent in executing it.

"You knew everything and (were) preparing for it" before landing at Indian shores, the court said.

The attack Nov 26-28, 2008, in Mumbai left 166 people dead, including foreigners.

An apex court bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice C.K. Prasad described as "incredible and unimaginable" Kasab’s contention, made through amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran.

Justice Alam said this when Kasab said: “I am not a part of the larger conspiracy of waging war against the government of India and my position at best is that of a contract killer in executing a conspiracy.”

Your contention is that “you are not part of the overarching conspiracy of waging war against the government of India but an agent but if your confession is seen then you knew everything”, Justice Alam said.

Kasab's counsel Ramachandran said “if my confession is accepted then I have no case”.

As Ramachandran persisted with his contention that Kasab was not a part of the larger conspiracy, the court said “you all 10 landed together and then split into five groups of two each and created havoc in Mumbai”.

Justice Prasad said: “You did not come by a public transport or conventional way of transportation” adding “the incident of such magnitude could not be without conspiracy”.

As the court observed that “there is no doubt that there was some conspiracy”, Ramachandran said “on that observation I will not join the issue”.

The apex court is hearing Kasab’s appeal challenging the upholding of his death sentence by the Bombay High Court Feb 21, 2011.