Kasab trial: Pawar does not want to cross examine 91 witnesses

In a U-turn, defence lawyer K P Pawar, appointed to defend Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab, on Thursday told the special court that he does not want to cross-examine the 91 prosecution witnesses.

In a U-turn, defence lawyer K P Pawar, appointed to defend Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab, on Thursday told the special court that he does not want to cross-examine the 91 prosecution witnesses.

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Pawar, who was appointed Kasab's lawyer after the court removed Advocate Abbas Kazmi due to non-cooperation, had yesterday told the court that he would cross-examine 91 out of the 340 witnesses, whose evidence was submitted in the form of affidavits by the prosecution last week.

Pawar today after cross-examining 22 witnesses told the court that he does want to cross-examine the remaining. Special Judge M L Tahilyani, however, refused to accept Pawar's submission and has summoned 34 of the remaining witnesses tomorrow.

"34 witnesses will come to court tomorrow. It is up to you (Pawar) whether you want to cross-examine them or admit their evidence," Tahilyani said.

The 91 witnesses include inquest panch witnesses, injured persons who were not eye-witnesses, doctors who treated the injured persons and doctors who conducted post-mortems on the victims of the 26/11 attacks.