26/11 terror trial: Kasab claims his food is laced with drugs

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the sole surviving 26/11 attacker, has complained to the special court that his food is being laced with a “powder” suspected to be a tranquiliser.

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the sole surviving 26/11 attacker, has complained to the special court that his food is being laced with a “powder” suspected to be a tranquiliser.

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On Tuesday, his lawyer Abbas Kazmi told reporters outside the court: “He has complained several times to the court that his food is being laced with some powder, because of which he is feeling drowsy throughout the day.”

Kazmi also pointed out an incident when Kasab had shown him a substance wrapped in paper saying it was being mixed in his food. Arthur Road Jail Superintendent Rajendra Dhamne denied this, saying the substance wrapped in paper was just boiled rice.

“These baseless allegations are being made because the trial has entered its final phase,” he said.

Manpreet Vohra, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, testified about the two dossiers given to him by the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Director General, South East Asia.

“One contained information on prosecutions of those arrested in Pakistan, the other had information on the Pakistani passport held by Fahim Arshad Ansari,” said Vohra, adding: “The passport, according to the dossier, was issued in the name of Hasan Hamad, on the basis of false identity and false particulars.”

The court also recorded the deposition of Annie Irani, wife of the Taj hotel’s steward Aadil, who was held hostage by four attackers who had stormed the heritage wing of the hotel.