Photojournalist identifies Kasab, provides photos as evidence

A photojournalist today identified Pakistani gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, before a special court hearing Mumbai attacks case, as one of the persons who opened fire at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus on November 26 and provided photographs to support his evidence.     

Sebastian D'Souza placed before the court 100 photographs which he had shot on the night of November 26 capturing the gunmen who were firing indiscriminately at people at the rail terminus. Over 50 persons were killed in the attack.     

The evidence of this witness is considered significant because he is not only an eyewitness but also is the first witness to provide documentary evidence of the terror attack.     

The court has taken 20 of the 100 photographs on record, three of them showing Kasab holding a AK-47 assault rifle and also firing with it.     

Four other photographs are of Kasab and fellow gunman Abu Ismail firing at people at the rail terminus.     

When the photographs were being displayed in court, Kasab was seen curiously looking at them from the dock since he was unaware that they were taken at the time of the attack.     

"The photographs are independent pieces of evidence and carry the value of an eyewitness and therefore is regarded as documentary evidence," special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.

Ten other photographs are of the main waiting hall of CST during the time of the attack, while two others are of slain policemen Ambadas Pawar and Shashank Shinde taking positions to fire at the gunmen.     

One photograph was of a bookseller at the terminus who was also killed in the attack.     

D'souza said he was working in a newspaper whose head office is located just opposite to CST and on the night of November 26, he came down from the building to go to Hotel Taj, another site of the terror strikes.     

However, as he reached the gate of his office, he heard explosions inside CST and ran to the suburban rail section of the terminus.     

As he went towards main waiting area of CST, D'souza said he saw two gunmen shooting but did not take the photographs due to lack of light.     

He backtracked to the suburban rail section and clicked photographs of the gunmen from two platforms where he took cover, D'souza said.     

Two other eyewitnesses, both police personnel, also identified Kasab as one of the gunmen at CST.     

Harshad Kunju Patil, a constable attached to Vashi police station, said he had come to CST from Vashi aboard a local train as he was deputed in a ladies compartment for security, when he heard explosions in the main waiting area of the terminus.