Kasab smiles through verdict

There were scenes of people with garlands and flower bouquets, waiting to cheer special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, after the Bombay high court confirmed Ajmal Amir Kasab’s death sentence on Monday.

There were scenes of people with garlands and flower bouquets, waiting to cheer special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, after the Bombay high court confirmed Ajmal Amir Kasab’s death sentence on Monday.

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Two days ago, when defence lawyers Amin Solkar and Farhana Shah went to see him, Kasab, 24, was reportedly tense — anticipating an adverse verdict from the Bombay high court.

On Monday, however, the Pakistani national was seen in a changed mood — he flashed his usual nonchalant smile.

In court, Kasab took a seat before the digital camera that connected a video link between the Arthur Road prison and court room no. 49, at 10:54 am.

Clad in white kurta-pyjama and sporting a small beard, Kasab sat in the chair placed before the camera, greeting everybody in the courtroom with a smile. He continued to smile even after Justice Ranjana Desai, presiding over the division bench, declared the verdict.

And Kasab maintained a stoic silence when the judge explained his order in Hindi.

The court room was overflowing with an abnormally high number of media persons and a few lawyers unconnected with the case but interested in knowing the outcome.

Perhaps the judges were as eager as the media persons, police officials attached to the Mumbai police crime branch, and lawyers connected with the case. Both the judges entered the courtroom sharply at 11:00 am.

Justice Desai took a look at the video-conferencing screen and ensured that Kasab was there in front of the camera at the other end — Arthrur Road prison, where he has been lodged — and went on to pronounce the verdict.