Monday, May 3, 2010

Mumbai suspect found guilty

An Indian court has convicted Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, 22, of taking part in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Kasab was found guilty on all charges against him on Monday, including "waging war against the state," which could carry the death penalty.

Two Indians, accused of providing the attackers with maps of Mumbai, were acquitted by the court for a lack of evidence. Both had faced dozens of charges.

Kasab was the only alleged assailant to stand trial for the three-day rampage, which killed 166 people in India's most populous city. The other nine alleged attackers were killed during the attacks.

The court was expected to issue a sentence on Tuesday.

Tight security

Security officials were on high alert as the court proceedings went ahead, setting up roadblocks around the court.

The interior ministry issued a statement urging citizens to avoid crowded places on Monday, while police have increased patrols throughout the city. Police and soldiers set up.

Kasab was reportedly arrested in a stolen car at a roadblock shortly after the 2008 attacks and has been accused of more than 300 crimes.

Prosecutors presented a range of evidence during his seven-month trial, including fingerprints, DNA evidence, security camera footage and photographs allegedly showing Kasab carrying an assault rifle.

Kasab first denied the charges, then pleaded guilty, before reversing his guilty plea, claiming he was set up by police.

ML Tahiliyani, the judge presiding over the case, had spent more than a month reviewing the evidence.

Thirty-five other people had been named as "co-conspirators" in the case. Seven of them, including a founder of the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, are currently on trial in Pakistan.

India blames the group for masterminding the attacks.

The Pakistani government last month asked India to hand over Kasab and one of his co-defendants, but the Indian government has not responded to the request.

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