SC upholds death for Kasab; conspiracy hatched in Pak

A bench of justices Aftab Alam and C K Prasad said, "this is a case of terrorist attack from across the border.

"It has a magnitude of unprecedented enormity on all scales. The conspiracy behind the attack was as deep and large as it was vicious. The preparation and training for the execution was as thorough as the execution was ruthless."

The court held 25-year-old Kasab guilty of waging war against the country, saying the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attack in which 166 people were killed showed a degree of depravity on his part seen in very few cases.

In terms of loss of life and property, and more importantly in its traumatising effect, the case stands alone, for awarding death penalty to Kasab who showed no remorse for his devilish act, the court said.

"It is at least the very rarest of rare to come before this court since the birth of the Republic. Therefore, it should also attract the rarest of rare punishment," the bench said.

The court dismissed Kasab's contention that the trial was not fair because the government did not provide him advocate during the time when he was arrested and put of trial.

Refusing to show any mercy to Kasab on account of his young age and illiteracy, the apex court observed, "the offences committed by the appellant show a degree of cruelty, brutality and depravity as in very few other cases.

"It is already seen above that the appellant never showed any repentance or remorse, which is the first sign of any possibility of reform and rehabilitation."

"I am more than certain that the planning and conspiracy to commit the crime were hatched in Pakistan, the perpetrators of crime were Pakistani trained at different centres in that country, and the devastation which took place at various places in the city of Mumbai, were executed by the appellant in furtherance thereof," Justice Prasad writing a separate but concurring judgement said.(MORE)PTI AAC RB VMN VMN