Smiles and tears in the special court

Throughout the trial, the sight of Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab (22), the lone terrorist captured alive during 26/11, doing something unusual was common.

Throughout the trial, the sight of Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab (22), the lone terrorist captured alive during 26/11, doing something unusual was common. From grinning wildly during the most serious discussions to repeatedly changing his plea, Kasab was anything but predictable. On Monday, as the judge declared him guilty, he did something entirely normal — he shed a tear.

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Judge M.L. Tahiliyani found him guilty on 80 of the 86 charges levelled against him.

On Monday, as proceedings began, the road outside was barricaded and armed soldiers kept watch over the court. The prison resembled a fortress as locals around the prison were frisked.

Mediapersons thronged the prison gate as passersby inquired what was going on.

At 11.30 am, Kasab, dressed in a white kurta and pyjama given to him by a Crime Branch officer, walked into the court. Fahim Ansari, in blue track pants and white T-shirt, and Sabauddin Ahmed, in his favourite sky blue kurta-pyjama, were already in the court.

Ansari and Ahmed were accused of facilitating the attacks.

Initially, Kasab showed little emotion. He kept his head down and listened carefully as the judge started pronouncing the verdict. Kasab didn’t seem very interested, not even looking up as the judge explained the verdict to him in Hindi.

Ansari and Ahmed wore pensive, anxious looks throughout. Their expressions began to change after the judge completed Kasab’s verdict and began pronouncing theirs.

Instead of declaring in one go that both were acquitted of all charges, Judge Tahiliyani chose first to explain why they were being acquitted. By the time the judge declared their acquittal of all charges, they sported wide smiles.