26/11 trial adjourned till Feb 22

The hearing on the 26/11 terror case was today adjourned till Monday after the prosecution sought permission to submit the evidence of 44 more formal witnesses in the form of affidavits.

Lone surviving Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab's lawyer K P Pawar opposed the submission of more witnesses arguing that the prosecution should have submitted their evidence in the initial stages and not after the court has recorded the statements of the three accused.

Special Judge M L Tahilyani said he would pass an order on the prosecution's application on Monday after ascertaining whether the nature of the evidence is formal or not.

"The list of witnesses include inquest panch, carriers of FSL reports and dead bodies from the terror site to the hospitals," special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.

In another development, one of the arrested accused Faheem Ansari today sought bail from the court to search for a lawyer as his advocate Shahid Azmi was shot dead by three persons last week.

Faheem, in his bail plea, has said no lawyer was ready to take his case and thus he wants to be released on bail so that he could go out and appoint a lawyer for himself.

The court has directed the prosecution to file their reply by Monday.

Shahid Azmi's junior Saba Qureshi, who was present in court, said she is ready to defend Faheem if he allows her to.

The court is likely to start hearing the final arguments of both the prosecution and defence in the first week of March.

Kasab, Faheem and Sabauddin Ahmed are facing trial for their alleged involvement in the November 26 terror attacks that killed 166 persons and injured 304 people.