The Mohammed Ajmal Mohammad Amir Kasab was produced before the magistrate as directed, on February 20 at 10.40 AM. The magistrate repeated the entire gamut of explanations and cautions at the end of which the appellant said that he still wanted to make his confession. It was only then did the learned magistrate proceed to record the statement made by the appellant under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The statement could not be fully recorded on February 20 and it was resumed on February 21 at 10.40 AM. On that date, the recording of the statement was completed. The learned magistrate has maintained a meticulous record of the proceedings before her on all those dates, duly signed by the appellant. After recording his statement, she also gave such certificates as required under sub-section 4 of Section 164 CrPC.
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THE KASAB NARRATIVE
Family background:
17. The appellant started by giving his name as Mohammed Ajmal Mohammad Amir Kasab. He was born on September 13, 1987. He lived in Pakistan where his address was village Faridkot, tehsil-Dipalpur, district Okara, Punjab province, Pakistan. He attended the Urdu-medium Faridkot Government Primary School up to class 4. He lived in the village with his Abbu Mohammad Amir Shaban Kasab, his Ammi Noor-e-Elahi, younger brother Munir and younger sister Surraiya. He gave his father’s mobile phone number. He had an elder sister and an elder brother, both of whom were married. The sister lived with her husband at a village in Pathankot, district Okara, and the brother lived in Lahore with his wife. He gave the names of the spouses of the elder sister and the elder brother and their respective addresses.
18. After the immediate family he gave the names of his three paternal uncles, elder to his father, and their sons, who lived in village Mohammad Yar Chishti, Pathankot, district Okara, Pakistan. He also named a fourth paternal uncle, younger to his father, who lived with the appellant’s father.
19. He then gave the names of his Mamoon (mother’s brother) and his three sons and a daughter and their address; and the name of his Khaloo (mother’s sister’s husband), his address and mobile phone number.
20. He gave the name of another sister of his mother whom he called ‘Mamo’ and her address.
21. He had two paternal aunts who were married. He gave their names and their addresses. He said that his Mamoon and Mousi (mother’s brother and sister) had grown-up children.
22. Kasab added that his house at Faridkot had been taken by his father who earned his livelihood by plying carts. Kasab was fond of watching TV and Hindi movies; he named a number of popular Indian films that he had seen many times. He was in the habit of chewing tobacco. He was good friends with the village doctor, Mazhar, who had a dispensary near Faridkot bus stop.
23. After dropping out of school in the year 2000, Kasab and his friend Dittu started working as labourers in Faridkot. In 2001, he and his Abbu went to Lahore in search of employment. In Lahore he lived with his father and uncle, Ghulam Rasool, in a house they rented from Haji Qamar. He gave the detailed address of the house. On his father’s instructions, Kasab started working as a labourer at “Mazdooron Ka Adda”. He worked there for about five years. In the year 2005, his father and uncle returned to their village. Kasab continued to stay in Lahore alone, living in rented accommodation. During this period he used to visit his village home. On one such visit, he quarreled with his Abbu over the money earned by him. After the quarrel he left the home and started living at Ali Hajveri Dargah in Lahore. Kasab’s friend Shafique got him a job in Welcome Tent Service. He gave the full address of the establishment, the name of its owner and the mobile phone numbers of the owner and his son. He added that the owner of the establishment used to call him “Balka”. It was here that Kasab met and befriended Muzaffar Lal Khan, who also worked there.
Induction into Lashkar-E-Toiba, Indoctrination and Training for “Jihad”:
24. In November 2007, Kasab and Muzaffar Lal Khan went to Rawalpindi in search of better employment and took rented accommodation in Bangash Colony. It was here, around the month of December, that they saw members of Lashkar-e-Toiba going from door to door under the name of Jamaat-ul-Dava, collecting hides of goats sacrificed on Eid-uz-Zoha. They were asking people to donate the goat hides to help achieve independence for Kashmir. Kasab and his friend developed great respect for those people. They thought that those people were fighting for the liberation of Kashmir and they, too, should do something for their people. When they were working at Sarai Alamgir members of Jamat-ul-Dava were organising camps at different places where they would go to listen to their speeches. He explained that after Lashkar-e-Toiba was banned in 2002, it started its activities in the name of Jamat-ul-Dava. At this time, Kasab and Muzaffar Lal Khan first thought of undergoing training for Jihad.
25. In December 2007, they took the address of the office of Lashkar-e- Toiba from a moulvi and reached its office at Raja Bazar, Rawalpindi. He added that the office was near Bangash Colony. There were two persons in the office who asked them the purpose of their visit. They replied that they wanted to undertake Jihad. The office people took their address in full and asked them to come the following day, with their clothes and other belongings. They returned the following day. On that day, a person in the office gave them a slip of paper with “Daura-E-Suffa, Markaz-e-Toiba, Muridke” written on it. He gave them directions for Muridke and told them to go there. They left for Muridke and, after traveling by bus for six hours, they reached Muridke bus stand. From there, they walked for about a kilometer and a half to reach the camp site. To the person there, they showed the letter and said that they had come for Daura-e-Suffa. After subjecting them to a search, he took them inside the office. There they showed the letter to a person called Fahadullah (wanted accused No. 8). He wrote down their names and addresses and admitted them for the training.
26. Daura-e-Suffa training lasted twenty one (21) days. There were thirty (30) other boys, apart from Kasab and his friend, doing the training. During this, they were first converted from Sunni (sect of Islam) to Ahl-e- Hadis and were given lessons in the Hadis (a study of the things said by the Prophet Muhammad and descriptions of his daily life). An Ustad conducted physical exercises. Besides, they were given lectures and lessons on Jihad. In those sessions Fahadullah and Mufti Sayeed (wanted accused No.
13) were the Ustad. The training took place between December 2007 and January 2008. In the course of the training, Ustad Abu Kafa (wanted accused No. 5) introduced them to Hafiz Sayeed, the Ameer of Lashkar-e-Toiba (wanted accused No. 1), Operational Commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi (wanted accused No. 2), Area Commander Abu Al-Kama (wanted accused No. 4), Muzzamil alias Yusuf (wanted accused No. 6), Training-in-charge Abu Umar Sayeed (wanted accused No. 18) and Abu Hamza (wanted accused No. 3). Kasab added that Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was known as ‘Chacha’ and Lakhvi. At that time Kafa told them that Abu Umar Sayeed arranged the training camps of Lashkar-e-Toiba.
[At this point the learned magistrate interrupted him to ask the meaning of the word Ameer. He said it meant leader].
27. Kasab said that Ameer Hafiz Sayeed exhorted them by saying that all Mujahedeens must fight for the independence of Kashmir; Zaki-ur-Rehman announced that the time had come for Jihad, adding that their orgainsation had been fighting in Kashmir for the last fifteen (15) years but the Hindustani Government was not allowing Kashmir to be independent. It had, therefore, become necessary to fight a war against Hindustan to capture Kashmir. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi asked them if they were ready to wage the war. They all said they were ready for the war. At that time, Abu Al-Kama told them that they had to attack the major cities of Hindustan; that they would wage war against Hindustan from within, so that it is weakened from the inside. He added that anyone who would die in this war would go to paradise. In response, Kasab and all his associates said that they were ready to launch an attack on Hindustan.
28. In February 2008, they were selected for Daura-e-Amma training. Ustad Fahadullah gave them a letter saying “Bhai Vasool Daura-e-Amma”, and sent them to Mansera Markaz Aksa. They traveled for twelve (12) hours by bus to reach Mansera bus stand from where they had to walk into the hilly region. There, at the entrance to the camp they were subjected to a search. They showed Fahadullah’s note to the person at the gate and were allowed into the office. The person in the office wrote down detailed information concerning them in a register. After staying there for the day, they were taken to Buttel village in a van. From there the driver of the van led them to the top of the hill on foot – a walk of about thirty (30) minutes.
29. In this second training of twenty-one (21) days they did physical exercises and practiced running and climbing over mountains. They were also given training in dismantling and assembling ‘Kalashan’, rifles and pistols and taught how to fire these weapons.
[Here the magistrate asked him the meaning of ‘Kalashan’. He said ‘Kalashan’ meant AK 47 rifle].
The Saving of Muzaffar:
30. During this training, Muzzafar’s elder brother came and took him from there.
Further Training:
31. Kasab told the magistrate that after the Daura-e-Amma training a Mujahid could go home if he so wished; alternatively, he could remain for three months of ‘Khidmat’.
[The magistrate asked him what ‘Khidmat’ meant, to which he replied that it meant keeping watch on the new Mujahids who came for training, preparing food for them in the kitchen and generally looking after them].
32. He said that he remained to do ‘Khidmat’ of the Mujahedeens. The ‘Ustad’ for the trainees who came there during Kasab’s ‘Khidmat’ were Abu Abdul Rehman (wanted accused No. 9), Yusuf (wanted accused No. 15), Abu Anas (wanted accused No. 10) and Abu Bashir (wanted accused No. 11). Kasab did ‘Khidmat’ during March, April and May, 2008.
33. Kasab’s ‘Ustad’, Abu Abdul Rehman, then asked him to go along with the other ‘Mujahedeens’ to the office of Lashkar-e-Toiba at Model Town, District Okara for ‘Daura-e-Khassa’. As instructed, they went to Mansera bus-stand in the ‘Lashkar-e-Toiba’ van. After traveling from there by bus for twelve (12) hours they reached Lahore Lorry Adda (bus-stand). From there they went to Okara bus-stand by bus and, after walking for about one kilometer, they reached the office of ‘Lashkar-e-Toiba’ near a Masjid at the corner of a lane in Model Town. They told the people there that they had come to obtain the note for ‘Daura-e-Khassa’. After making inquiries of them and after making verifications on the telephone, the person present there wrote a letter saying “Bhai Vasool”. He stamped this with the flag of the ‘Lashkar-e-Toiba’ and gave it to them. He also gave them the address of the ‘Lashkar-e-Toiba’ training camp at Muzzafarabad.
34. All of them travelled 16/17 hours in a bus to Muzzafarabad. Kasab added that Muzzaffarabad is in POK. From there they walked for about an hour and, passing through a ‘Lashkar-e-Toiba’ hospital called Neelam Dariya, they reached Sevai Nala. At that place there were 10/12 houses and a masjid of Lashkar-e-Toiba and the settlement was called ‘Baitul Mujahedeen’. They gave the Rukka (chit) to a person called Sayeed and entered the training camp, which was also called ‘Maskar Aksa’. The camp was situated on Chehalbandi Hills of Muzzaffarabad. There was high security in this training camp and restrictions on moving in or out of the camp without the permission of the ‘Ustad’. Abu Muavia (wanted accused No. 28) was the ‘Ustad’ of this training, which was conducted in the months of May, June and July, 2008.
35. Kasab told the magistrate that this training was of two and a half months in course of which they were turned into solid ‘Jihadis’. They were given lessons in Hadis, Namaz and Quran. In addition, they were taught to dismantle and assemble Kalashans and many kinds of rifles and pistols, and to fire from those weapons, to operate rocket launchers and the use of hand grenades. They were also given training in the use of satellite phones, GPS systems and map-reading. The physical exercise comprised staying without food for 60 hours while climbing mountains with heavy loads on the back. He added that the training was very arduous, so much so that ten (10) Mujahedeens fled the training camp. Abu Muavia and Abu Hanzala (wanted accused No. 31) were the ‘Ustad’ for this Daura.
36. During that training, a person unknown to Kasab visited the camp. At that time, Ameer Hafiz Sayeed, Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Kafa were present there. Ameer Hafiz Sayeed and Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi embraced the visitor, and ‘Ustad’ Abu Muavia and Abu Hanzala saluted him in soldier style. Kafa introduced him to the trainees as Major General Saab (wanted accused No.
20) adding that the persons who were giving them training were his men. Major General Saab asked them their names and inquired about their training. He asked whether they had any complaints. They all answered that they had none. Major General Saab left after talking to them for about an hour.
[At this point, the magistrate asked Kasab for the name of Major General Saab. He said they were not told his name]
37. Kasab said that after completion of the training his ‘Ustad’ Muavia gave him Rupees one thousand and three hundred (Rs.1,300/-) and asked him to go home and then to Ameer Hafiz Sayeed’s office at Baitul Mujahedeen.
Preparation for attack on India:
38. Kasab stayed at his village for one week and then, towards the end of July, 2008, he reached the office of Hafiz Mohammad Sayeed at Baitul Mujahedeen. From there ‘Ustad’ Muavia took him to Selection Point at Sevai Nala, where 20/22 Mujahedeens like him were already present. Also present were Ameer Hafiz Mohammad Sayeed, Muzammil, Abu Hamza, ‘Ustad’ Muavia, Kafa and Abu Al-Kama. The Mujahedeens were shown a CD on the laptop demonstrating how Salauddin had made a ‘Fidayeen’ attack in Kashmir. Thereafter, Abu Al-Kama explained to them in detail how ‘Fidayeen’ attacks were made in Kashmir.
39. Ameer Hafiz Sayeed selected them and gave them new names. He named Kasab ‘Abu Mujahid’ and Imran Babar from Multan of Punjab region ‘Abu Aqsa’; Nasir of Faisalabad was named ‘Abu Umar’ and Nazir Ahmed ‘Abu Omair’; Hafiz Arshad of Multan Road, Punjab, was called Abdul Rehman ‘Bada’ alias Hayaji; Abdul Rehman (Chhota) of Multan Road, Arabwala, was called ‘Saqib’; Soheb from Narowala, Shakkar Garh, Punjab, was given the name ‘Abu Soheb’. Some other colleagues of Kasab, who came from different places in Pakistan and whose names he did not recall but whom he identified with reference to the places from which they came, were similarly given pseudonyms by Hafiz Sayeed.
40. On the same day in the evening they were taken to the office of Baitul Mujahedeen.
41. The fifteen (15) selected persons then left for Markaz-e-Toiba, Muridke, for the Daura-e-Ribat training. In this session, which lasted one month, they were given intelligence training, such as gathering knowledge about the target, keeping watch on him, following him and dodging if someone were to follow them. Kasab described one of these tricks to the magistrate, telling her that if they suspected that they were being followed, they would switch on the indicator light on the right and then suddenly take a left turn. That is how they would find out if they were being followed. They learnt how to use fake identities while on a mission. Training in-charge Abu Sayeed gave special attention to this training. He would frequently come to them and make queries about the training.
42. During the training two of Kasab’s colleagues, Nasad and Abu Muavia, left the camp and went away.
43. Abu Kafa and Imran (wanted accused No. 12) were the Ustad of this Dauara. During this training, Major General Saab came there twice. He watched them train and encouraged them. The Daura was completed in the end of August, 2008. At that time Muzammil alias Yusuf and Abu Al-Kama had also come there. Major Saab asked them if they could swim, to which they answered in the affirmative. Then Major Saab asked Kafa to give them marine training. Kafa said he would do so.
44. A few days later, in September, 2008, Kafa took them to Karachi by train. There they were lodged in a house in Azizabad mohalla. It was there in the month of September, 2008, that Ramzan started. Kafa took all the thirteen (13) Mujahedeens to the creek from where they all sailed to the sea at Karachi on two small boats. Here, they were put on a boat with an engine attached to it. On that boat a person called Hakim Saab (wanted accused No. 14) gave them three days’ marine training. During the marine training they were taught to read and use maps, to fathom the depths of the sea, to use GPS for marine-ways, to cast fishing nets and to sail.
[At this point the magistrate asked Kasab why they were taught to cast fishing nets. He replied that in order to deceive the naval officers of the enemy they would say they were fishermen].
45. After the marine training, Kafa took them back to Baitul Mujahedeen. There, Ameer Hafiz Sayeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi asked them about the marine training.
46. Three days later, Ameer Hafiz Sayeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi sent six (6) Mujahedeens from among them (whose names Kasab told the magistrate) for a ‘Fidayeen’ attack in Kashmir. On the following day, Abu Hamza introduced three men to their group: Ismail Khan from Dera Ismail Khan, Punjab, Fahadulla, and Javed from Okara, Punjab. Hafiz Sayeed named them Abu Ismail, Abu Fahadullah and Abu Ali. Abu Hamza told the group that these three were ‘Fidayeens’ like them; they had also taken training like them and they were also going with them to carry out the attack on Hindustan.
47. On the thirteenth (13th) Roza Hafiz Sayeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Muzammil alias Yusuf, Al Kama, Abu Hasan, Abu Kafa and Abu Umar Sayeed called them into the office of Baitul Mujahid. Ameer Hafiz Sayeed addressed them there. He said that the time for ‘Jihad’ had come and they were now required to consider how best to launch the attack on Hindustan. After him Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi spoke and said that the economic strength of Hindustan lay in Bombay and it was therefore necessary to direct the attack on Bombay. He added that they had taken good marine training and hence they would attack Bombay from the sea route. Major General Saab also came to this meeting. He embraced Ameer Hafiz and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and they talked to each other at some distance from the rest of the group. After a while they came to the group and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi said that Major General Saab wanted to see their preparedness. Immediately, each of them was given a ‘Kalashan’ and a loaded magazine. Major General Saab asked Ameer Hafiz to have the targets fixed at which Ameer Hafiz directed Kafa to fix ten (10) targets. Major General Saab said that when he shouted “fire” they should fire a single shot and when he shouted “fire” twice they were to make ‘rapid firing’.
48. All of them took position. Major General Saab watched them taking position and then he shouted “fire”. Each of them fired a single shot. Except Imran Babar, everyone shot the target. Ameer Hafiz Sayeed rebuked Imran Babar severely. Major General Saab, too, told Imran Babar to practice shooting properly. Major General Saab then asked everybody to take position. They all resumed position and Major General Saab shouted “fire” twice. All of them emptied their magazines. Major General Saab then walked upto the targets and inspected them closely. He asked who had fired at (target) No.4. Kasab said it was he. Major General Saab complemented him saying that he had destroyed the target entirely. He told the others that they had to destroy the target fully using minimum bullets and then, pointing at Kasab, he told the others that this is the way firing should be done. He then left and went away.
49. Then Kafa introduced them to a person called Zarar Shah (wanted accused No. 7). Kasab and Ismail asked him about Zarar Shah, at which he told them that Zarar Shah and Ibrahim were the Ameer of the media wing of their organization. Zarar Shah was a computer expert. He could use computer technology to make a call from Pakistan appear, deceptively, as if it was being made from some other country. Zarar Shah and Ibrahim had set up a high technology media room. In this room they had collected maps, CDs and other information concerning the major cities of every country in the world on the basis of which they selected the targets and advised Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.
50. Ameer Hafiz Sayeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi then divided the ten (10) ‘Mujahedeens’ into five (5) ‘buddiyas’.
[The magistrate asked what a ‘Buddiya’ was. Kasab said ‘Buddiya’ meant a pair].
51. The Buddiyas were: 1. Kasab & Ismail Khan; 2. Imran Babar & Nasir; 3. Soheb & Nazir Ahmed; 4. Hafiz Arshad alias Hayaji & Javed; and 5. Abdul Rehman (Chhota) & Fahadullah.
52. Then, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi told them that on the twenty-seventh (27th) Roza they were to go and make the “Fidayeen” attack on Bombay. Ameer Hafiz Sayeed said to them that for going from Karachi to Bombay, a Hindustani boat would have to be hijacked and they would go to Bombay by that Hindustani boat. He added that the “maali halat” of Hindustan was based on “videshi sailaniyon”. Therefore, in order to weaken the “maali halat” of Hindustan it was necessary to attack, among other places, those places frequented by “videshi sailaniyon”.
[At this point the magistrate interrupted to ask the meanings of “maali halat” and “videshi sailani”. Kasab translated the two expressions as “money power” and “foreign tourists”].
53. Ameer Hafiz Sayeed told them that they would fire from “Kalashan” while also throwing hand grenades at VTS, Malabar Hill, Taj Hotel at Colaba, Leopold Hotel, Oberoi Hotel and Nariman House Building where Israelis stayed in Bombay. He added that while firing they should specially target the Americans, the British and the Israelis because those people had greatly oppressed the Muslims. At VTS there would be a very large crowd and while firing there they should not think of whether their targets were Muslims or Hindus. They should just open ‘brush fire’ without any thought as to who they targeted. However, while firing at the hotels they should take care that no Muslim was killed in their attack. Then, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi asked the two “buddies” who were assigned the attack on the Taj Hotel and the Oberoi Hotel to set the two hotels on fire and to cause damage to them on a large scale. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi said that before launching the attack they must fix the RDX bombs around their targets. The bomb blasts would cause traffic jams and slow down the movement of the police coming to the rescue, and would thus make it easier for them to kill the policemen, besides many other people.
54. Ameer Hafiz Sayeed fixed the time for the attacks at 7.30 PM. When Kasab asked why the attack should take place at that particular time, Hafiz Sayeed explained that this was the time when the targeted places would be most crowded, and insisted that the attack must take place at 7.30 PM. Kafa told them that the ten (10) “Mujahedeens”, would be given ID cards with fake Hindu names and that they would go to Hindustan with those fake ID cards. On the way, they would also tie sacred threads around their wrists like Hindus do. When Ismail asked about the need for ID cards and threads, Kafa replied that with those ID cards nobody could stop them and they would be easily successful in their mission. And the threads on their wrists would deceive the police.
55. Continuing his story, Kasab told the magistrate that at that meeting they decided that he and Ismail would begin firing at VTS to make piles of dead bodies. From VTS they would go to Malabar Hill and start firing there. Hafiz Arshad and Javed would do the firing at Hotel Taj; Fahadullaah and Abdul Rehman (Chhota) at Hotel Oberoi; Imran Babar and Nasir at Nariman House; while Soheb and Nazir would begin firing at Hotel Leopold and then join Hafiz Arshad and Javed at the Taj Hotel. Further, while going to VTS he would plant an RDX bomb under the driver’s seat in the taxi; Nazir Ahmed and Javed would similarly place the bombs in the taxis they would hire to Leopold Hotel and Taj Hotel respectively. The taxis used by them would thus explode at some other place and no one would have any clue regarding how they came and where they came from. The Buddiyas at Nariman House, Oberoi Hotel and Taj Mahal Hotel would talk to the media and falsely tell them that they had taken some people hostage and (on that strength) would ask the Hindustan Government to allow Kashmir to be free. They would deceive the media into believing that they were Hindustani Muslims in large numbers and would thus generate fear.
56. Ameer Hafiz said Abu Hamza would teach them how to plant RDX bombs and how to cause blasts.
57. Ameer Hafiz Sayeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Muzammil alias Yusuf, Abu Al-Kama, Abu Umar Sayeed, Kafa, Abu Hamza and Zarar Shah then took the ten (10) “Mujahedeens” to a big hall. In that hall there were two or three TVs. Zarar Shah told them that this was the control room of the media wing. Zarar Shah showed them the different roads of Bombay and their different targets on a big TV screen. He showed VTS and Malabar Hill to Kasab and Ismail Khan on a CD. He also gave them detailed information about the roads leading to VTS and Malabar Hill. Kafa used Google Earth on a laptop to show them how to go from Badhwar Park in Mumbai to VTS and from VTS to Malabar Hill. Kafa also showed them some maps that were drawn by hand and told them that Fahim Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed in Hindustan (Accused 2 &3) had prepared those maps and sent them from there. He said that with the help of those maps they would easily reach the places targeted by them. Having told them how the maps were obtained, Kafa explained the maps to them. Kasab asked where Sabauddin and Fahim were. Kafa said both of them were arrested in Hindustan. Kasab asked why they were arrested, to which Kafa replied that they were arrested in connection with an attack made on a police camp at Rampur in India. Then, on the basis of one of the maps, he explained how long it would take them to go from Badhwar Park to VTS and from there to Malabar Hill. Kafa told them that Cooperage Ground and Azad Maidan fall on the way to VTS and told them to mention those places to the taxi driver. Kafa gave similar information to the other “Buddiyas” on the basis of the CD, Google Earth and the maps sent by Sabauddin and Fahim.
58. On the day of the fifteenth (15th) Roza, Abu Hamza and Kafa took the ten (10) Mujahedeens to the hills of Muzaffarabad. There they practiced how to take position and fire with Kalashans. They were also taught how to make the tiffin bomb from RDX, how to fix a blast timer into it and how to set off the bomb. At that time, on the instructions of Ameer Hafiz Sayeed, Abu Hamza and Kafa gave more firing practice to Imran Babar.
59. The same night they returned to Baitul Mujahedeen.
60. On the day of the sixteenth (16th) Roza, Kafa asked them to shave and cut their hair. They were given new clothes, shoes and socks. On Kafa’s instruction they cut off the labels of the new clothes. Kafa also gave them watches set to Indian time. On the same day, Kafa had their photographs taken.
61. On the day of the seventeenth (17th) Roza, Kafa took them to Karachi city by train and there they went to a house in Azizabad mohalla. Lying in the house was an Urdu magazine called “Taibat” that featured the names of the six (6) “Mujahedeens” who had gone on the Kashmir Mission and been martyred there. Kasab asked Kafa about them. Kafa said that their colleagues had become martyrs in the encounter with the Hindustani army and that Allah would rest their souls in heaven.
62. On the day of the eighteenth (18th) Roza, Kafa brought ten (10) timers and explained to them how to fix a battery in the timer and how to set the time. On Kafa’s instructions they affixed their names on one timer each, after which Kafa took the timers back from them. At that time, according to the plan, Kafa also gave all of them ID cards with their Hindu names. Kasab’s ID card showed him as Sameer Choudhary son of Dinesh Choudhary of Arunodaya Degree College, Bangalore. Ismail’s ID card described him as Naresh Verma son of Vilas Verma of Arunodaya Degree College, Hyderabad. All the ID cards were of Arunodaya College. Kasab listed the different fake Hindu names given to the rest of his colleagues.
63. Kafa took them back to the Karachi harbour and they stayed on the sea for one day. On that expedition, Hakim Saab taught them how to dismantle, assemble and run a small inflatable boat. He showed them how to take out the sea valve and sink a boat. He explained to them about “tul” and “chourai”.
[Here the magistrate asked him to explain “tul” and “chourai”. He explained that “tuls” were the vertical and “chourais” were the horizontal lines on a map]
64. On the twentieth (20th) day of Roza, Lakhvi came there and said that the work had been stopped for some time. At this Kasab said to Lakhvi that there was no need for them to wait. He could make their mission successful, according to the plan, and there was no need for him to worry. Kasab further said that he had longed for it for so many years and asked Lakhvi not to create any obstructions. At this, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi started laughing and said that he knew from the beginning that he was a firm “Jihadi”, but he asked him to wait for some time. The next day Zaki-ur- Rehman Lakhvi left, though the Mujahedeens continued to stay in the Azizabad house. During those days Imran Babar would make them repeat the names on their ID cards. Of them, Imran Babar alone was properly educated and he could, therefore, read and write English.
65. They celebrated ‘Ramzan Eid’ in the Azizabad house. During this period Abu Hamza taught them how to plant a bomb under the seat in a moving car and gave training to Kasab, Javed and Nazir Ahmed on how to plant a bomb under the (driver’s) seat while sitting in the back seat of the car. They were in the Azizabad house for almost a month and a half. On November 18, Kafa left, taking Nasir and Nazir Ahmed with him.
Arming for the Invasion:
66. On November 21 they were driven from Azizabad in a car to a house near a creek. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah, Abu Hamza, Kafa, Nasir and Nazir Ahmed were already present there. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi had made Ismail Khan the ‘Ameer’ of the mission. In the house near the creek there were a number of boxes containing the ‘goods’. Those boxes were opened in their presence and all the ‘goods’ were handed over to Ismail. The ‘goods’ were Aslaha, barood (explosives) and eatables.
[The magistrate asked what “Aslaha” is. Kasab replied: weapons].
67. Abu Hamza had explained to Ismail how the “Aslaha” and “Barood” were to be distributed. Ismail noted down all the instructions in his diary and took all the articles in his possession. Thereafter Abu Hamza gave Kasab and Ismail Rupees ten thousand and eight hundred (Rs.10800=00) in Indian currency. They divided it between themselves. All the other ‘buddies’ were also given Indian money. Then Zarar Shah gave each of them a mobile phone. Ismail asked which place the numbers belonged to. Zarar Shah replied that those numbers were of Hindustan. He added that they had obtained the SIM cards from Hindustan by tricking some people there. He added that the SIM cards would get activated on reaching Bombay. He asked them to use the phones on reaching Bombay. Kasab asked about the numbers on which they could talk to them. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi said that Zarar had fed their numbers in the mobiles and that on punching the green button twice the phone would be connected to them and they would be able to report to them about the work.
68. He then gave some (telephone) numbers to Ismail and asked him to note down those numbers in his diary. Ismail noted down the numbers in the diary which he always kept with him. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi also gave the names of some areas of Bombay, like Colaba, WTC etc., which names, too, Ismail noted down in his diary. During the training, Abu Hamza had given them some codes so that no one would suspect while they communicated on the phone. Ismail had those codes and the details of “tul” and “chourai” also noted in his diary. Thereafter, Zaki-ur-Rehman gave a satellite phone to Ismail and left.
69. Ismail then distributed the weapons and the explosives. He gave a large sack to all the “Mujahedeens”. He also gave each of them one (1) ‘Kalashan’, eight (8) magazines, two hundred and forty (240) rounds, eight (8) hand grenades, one bayonet (Kasab called it “Sangeen”), one (1) pistol with three (3) magazines, twenty-one (21) rounds, one (1) water bottle, one (1) Kg raisins, one (1) headphone and three (3) nine (9) volt batteries along with a charger. He also gave each of them an RDX bomb of eight (8) Kg that was kept in a tiffin box in a small sack. He also gave each ‘buddy’ a GPS system and a small pouch to everyone to tie around the waist.
70. All of them took their goods and cleaned and serviced the “Kalashan” and the pistol; put thirty (30) rounds in each magazine of their “Kalashan” and seven (7) in those of the pistol. As trained, they joined two (2) magazines together with tape so as to easily replace the magazine being emptied while firing from “Kalashan”. They then packed all the “aslaha”, the other goods and their new clothes in the large sack. Everyone’s sack, containing the bombs and the goods, was kept for the night in the Lashkar-e- Toiba’s car. Ismail asked all of them to keep their ID cards with Hindustani names in their pockets, and they did as instructed.
71. At night, Abu Hamza and Kafa told Ismail to note down the “tul” and “chourai” while on their way to Bombay so that they could reach Bombay with the help of GPS without difficulty. Ismail made the notes in his diary, as instructed by them, in Kasab’s presence.
The Journey to Mumbai by Sea:
72. On November 22, they woke at six (6) in the morning and offered Namaz. Then they left for Karachi, along with Kafa and Abu Hamza, to make the “Fidayeen” attack on Bombay. After walking for about thirty (30) minutes they reached a creek. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was present there. He told them that the “Aaqa” (master) Hafiz Sayeed and all of them had worked very hard for that mission. Their efforts must bear fruit. They had been trained fully in every skill. They must not be let down. That was their responsibility. Zaki-ur-Rehman further told them to switch on the mobile phones on reaching Bombay. He said that the “buddiyas” targeting Nariman House, Taj Hotel and Oberoi Hotel would communicate with the media. They (Zaki-ur-Rehman and the other conspirators) would tell them afterwards what to say to them. They (Zaki-ur-Rehman and the other conspirators) would also send e-mail to the media and challenge the Hindustani government. Zaki-ur- Rehman then handed over to each ‘buddy’ the maps sent by Sabauddin and Fahim. Ismail kept the map that showed the way to reach VTS and Malabar Hill. Zaki-ur-Rehman instructed them to tear up the maps after reaching their destinations. Thereafter, Zaki-ur-Rehman prayed for them saying that he put them under the protection of Allah and Allah would protect them. He further prayed that Allah might let them complete the desired work fully. He then gave instruction to Ismail to take out the sea valve before leaving the Hindustani boat so that it would sink into the sea. Zaki-ur-Rehman then took Ismail aside and talked to him privately.
73. At around seven (7:00 AM) in the morning a small wooden boat arrived to take them. After sailing in that boat for an hour and a half, they were transferred to a bigger boat and the small boat went back. Hakim Saab and his three colleagues were also there in the big boat. At about 9:00 PM they boarded an even bigger vessel, Al-Hussaini, while Hakim Saab and his three colleagues returned in the second boat. There were seven (7) persons on the Al-Hussaini from before, of whom three were called Murshad (wanted accused No. 16), Aaquib (wanted accused No. 17) and Usman (wanted accused No. 19). They were all members of Lashkar-e-Toiba. Murshad gave them the sacks containing the bombs, and the “Kalashan” that were packed in the Karachi house. Murshad also gave Ismail a rubber speed boat, a pump to fill air in the rubber boat, life jackets, blankets, rice, flour, oil, pickle, milk powder, match boxes, detergent powder, tissue papers, bottles of Mountain Dew cold drink, dental cream, spray paint, towels, shaving kits, tooth brushes, etc. They spent that night on Al-Hussaini.
74. [At this point the court time was over but Kasab’s statement was incomplete. The magistrate, therefore, sent him back to judicial custody. He was again produced before her on the following day, February 21, 2009, at 10.40 AM. The magistrate once again satisfied herself that he had been insulated from any external influence and would make the statement completely voluntarily. She then resumed taking down his statement].
75. Continuing the narrative where he stopped on the previous day, Kasab said that on November 23, at about 12.00 PM they had traveled by Al- Hussaini for about half an hour (sic) when they saw a boat coming towards them. Usman waved a broken engine belt, indicating to the people on that boat that they were in need of help and, on the pretext of seeking their help in changing the broken belt, they approached that boat and captured it. The name of the Hindustani boat was “Kuber”. Four persons on that boat were taken hostage by Hakim Saab and Usman and were brought aboard the Al- Hussaini. They also brought from the Kuber TV set and VCR and some other articles lying on it to the Al-Hussaini. Then all ten (10) “Fidayeens” along with all their belongings boarded the Kuber. The “Nakhva” (navigator) of “Kuber” was also put in their custody. Then, on Hakim Saab’s instructions, Ismail checked the amount of diesel on Kuber. The “Nakhva” told him that there were seven hundred (700) liters of diesel in its tank and another four (4) drums filled with diesel on board. Ismail asked him whether that would be sufficient to take them to Bombay to which he replied that that may not be sufficient to carry them to Bombay. Hakim Saab told Ismail that there might arise the need for more diesel, and asked his three colleagues to transfer the iron drums and plastic cans filled with diesel from Al-Hussaini to Kuber.
76. Thereafter, according to plan, they sailed for Bombay, with the help of GPS and the “tul” and “chourai” that were given to them, and with the assistance of Amarchand Solanki, the Nakhva of Kuber.
77. On Kuber, Imran Babar was assigned the work of cooking and the other nine (9) men were divided by Ismail in groups of three each for guard duty. Kasab was in the group with Ismail Khan and Nasir. Each group was given guard duty for two hours on rotation basis. Ismail also noted down in his diary the hours assigned to each group, mentioning the members of each group by the names given to them by Hafiz Sayeed.
78. After sailing for some distance, they tied the “Nakhva’s” hands, blindfolded him and made him sit near the engine. The three groups guarded the Kuber against any unfriendly intrusion round the clock and they also kept a watch on Amarchand, the “Nakhva”. Ismail and Javed were sailing the boat with the help of the “Nakhva”. During the voyage they were talking to Abu Hamza on the satellite phone. And Ismail was verifying with the aid of GPS that they were sailing in the right direction. They were also feeding the “Nakhva”. They filled diesel in the engine of the Kuber thrice on the journey to Bombay, with help from the “Nakhva”.
79. On November 26, at 11.00 AM, according to plan, they tied red-yellow coloured threads around their wrists. Around 4.00 PM on that day they neared Bombay and its tall buildings came within into sight.
Kasab shames the Butcher:
80. According to plan, Kasab called Abu Hamza on the satellite phone. He told him that they had reached Bombay and asked what was to be done with the “Nakhva”. Abu Hamza laughed and said he should do whatever he wanted. Kasab then told Ismail that it would be better to kill the “Nakhva”. Ismail agreed with him. Kasab then asked Soheb and Nasir to hold the “Nakhva” by the legs in the engine room. He himself yanked him by the hair and pulling his head down cut his neck. He then hid his body in the engine room.
81. Meanwhile, Ismail, Fahadullah, Javed and Nazir Ahmed began inflating the rubber speed-boat with the pump. After half an hour, when the boat was filled with air, it was lowered into the sea. They wore the new clothes purchased from the market in Karachi. Kasab put on a red T-shirt and, over it, a blue T-shirt with a cap attached to it and green cargo pants. Like him, the others also put on the new clothes purchased from the market in Karachi. They all put on red life jackets and yellow waterproof trousers. They left behind the clothes they had travelled in on the Kuber. Kasab left a white shalwar and a white shirt that he had been wearing earlier. All of them offered namaz and then, according to plan, they all took out their mobile phones from the bags and switched them on. But there was no network on the sea. They unloaded all the articles for the attack on to the speed- boat. While they were engaged in moving from the Kuber to the speed-boat, they saw a boat approaching. They thought it was a ‘navy’ boat. Alarmed, they quickly got into the speed-boat and set sail. In his haste, Ismail forgot to take out the sea valve of the Kuber. He also forgot his satellite phone on the Kuber.
82. They left the Kuber at a distance of about four (4) nautical miles from Bombay and sailed for Bombay on the speed-boat. Ismail was sailing the speed-boat. The speed-boat had the engine of Yamaha Company. Nazir Ahmed, with the aid of GPS, was showing the way to Bombay. On the way, Ismail said that first he and Kasab would leave for VTS by taxi, then Soheb and Nazir Ahmad would go to Leopold Hotel by taxi, and then Javed and Hafiz Arshad would go to the Taj Hotel by taxi. Imran Babar and Nasir would walk to Nariman House. Last of all, Fahadullah and Abdul Rehman (Chhota) would go to Oberoi Hotel in the speed-boat. Ismail asked Kasab, Soheb and Javed to place RDX bombs, according to plan, under their taxi drivers’ seats. He told the others to place their bombs near the targets.
83. After sailing for about an hour and a half or two hours they reached the Bombay shore. According to plan, Abu Ali jumped out and anchored the boat to the shore. First, Ismail and Kasab alighted from the speed-boat. They took their bags. Both Ismail and Kasab removed their life jackets and waterproof trousers and threw them into the sea. After getting off the boat, Kasab put on his shoes. Following Kasab and Ismail, the others also got off the speed boat. At that time it was about 9.00 PM and according to the plan they were late by about an hour and a half.
84. On getting down from the boat they came across two persons. They asked them who they were and from where had they come. Kasab told them that they were students. Ismail had an altercation with them.
The Attack:
85. Ismail and Kasab took their bags and walked up to the road. They took a taxi. Ismail sat in the front and Kasab sat in the back seat. Ismail asked the driver to take them to VTS. He started talking to the driver. Meanwhile Kasab fixed two nine (9) volt batteries to the wire of the timer in the bomb in the bag. He placed this bag, containing the bomb, under the driver’s seat. He had set the time of explosion for after an hour and fifteen minutes.
86. They reached VTS within fifteen to twenty minutes and were annoyed to find the crowd at the station far less than what they had seen on the CD. Ismail tried to communicate with Abu Hamza on his mobile but the mobile did not show any network. Ismail then tried to make the call from Kasab’s mobile but his mobile, too, did not work. Ismail kept Kasab’s mobile with him and both of them entered and came inside the passage. They saw the stairs going upwards. The people there had come with large bags and from that they gathered that this platform was for long-distance trains. There was a toilet nearby. Kasab gave his bag to Ismail and went to the toilet. When he came back, Ismail went to the toilet carrying the small bag containing the bomb with him. Inside, according to plan, he fixed the batteries in the bomb and came out with the bag containing the bomb. Ismail put the bag containing the bomb among the passengers’ luggage. They then signaled to each other and decided to open fire. Kasab took out the ‘Kalashan’ from his bag and Ismail took out a hand grenade from his bag. He removed its clip and threw it at the people. At the same time both Kasab and Ismail started firing on the people present there. After a while, Ismail threw another grenade at the people. They continued firing from their ‘Kalashans’. As a result of the firing, many people were killed on the station. The people at the station were frightened and started running in all directions. Within a short time, the entire station was empty. Meanwhile the police had started firing on them. Both of them fired back at the police, giving cover to each other.
87. The police continued to fire at them and tried to stop them. Ismail and Kasab shot the policemen dead and came out of VT station through the stairs. (He refers to the foot-overbridge on the side of platform No.1 of the local lines). Kasab said that he fired almost six magazines at the station.
88. After coming down from the overbridge they looked for a taxi in the lane (Badruddin Tayabji Marg). But they found none. They tried to open the cars parked in the lane but were unable to open any car. They moved ahead in the lane. They both fired in that lane. At that time heavy police firing started and they decided to enter the opposite building (which happened to be Cama Hospital), climb to its terrace and kill the policemen by firing and throwing grenades at them from this higher position.
89. They jumped over a closed gate, entered the building and climbed up its floors. The police followed them into the building. They fired at the police and the people and also threw hand grenades at them. At that time the police was also firing at them. They shot the policemen dead. Then, as the firing stopped, they came down. They were in that building for almost an hour. Then they came to know that the building was a hospital. They could hear the screams of women and cries of children coming from the rooms of the building. They decided to enter every room of the building and to kill the women and children there. They tried to open the doors of the rooms but all the doors were closed from inside and the iron-grill doors outside were also closed. They were unable to open any of the doors. They decided to get out from that building and go to their last target. They came down from the building and moved ahead, taking cover of a wall. After moving ahead, they jumped over the wall and came out on the road.
90. They moved ahead on the road, keeping on the right side, taking cover of the wall. They saw a policeman coming. Kasab pointed his ‘Kalashan’ at him and fired, killing the policeman on the spot. At that time they were fired at from the opposite direction. They fired in retaliation and entered a lane. They saw a white car with a red beacon light in the lane moving backwards. Kasab fired at the car. The car moved for a little distance and stopped. Ismail threw a hand grenade at the car and Kasab again fired at it with a view to make the car move away from there. But when they reached near the car and tried to open its door they found all the window glasses raised and the doors locked and the driver lying dead inside the car. They tried to open the door of the car but were unable to open it.
91. Then they saw a car with a yellow light coming towards them from the opposite direction. Seeing that car, both of them hid in the bushes, taking the cover of the wall behind them. As soon as that car came near them, they fired at it; at the same time shots were fired from the car, hitting Kasab on both his hands. When the firing from the car stopped they looked at the car and found that the persons inside the car were policemen and all of them were dead. They tried to open the car’s rear door but it did not open. Kasab was injured and he stood leaning on the vehicle, shaking his hands, while Ismail fired a round of ‘brush fire’ on the road behind the car. Ismail then went near the car and pulled out the dead bodies of the driver and the policeman sitting behind the driver. Kasab pulled out the dead body of the policeman sitting next to the driver and threw it on the ground. There were no rounds left in Ismail’s ‘Kalashan’ and, therefore, he picked up the policeman’s ‘Kalashan’ from the car. He started the car and drove at full speed. He told Kasab that bullets had hit him on the legs and in the armpits.
92. After some time they reached the chowk and found a large crowd comprising both policemen and the public. Ismail fired at the policemen and the public while continuing to drive the car. After some time it appeared that the back right tyre of their car was punctured. Ismail was, nevertheless, driving the car at a very high speed. Then, on seeing a white car approaching from the opposite direction, Ismail stopped their car. Kasab fired from his ‘Kalashan’ in the air and both of them got out of the car. He went towards the white car and, pointing the ‘Kalashan’ at the driver, asked him to stop the car. The driver immediately stopped the car. Ismail pulled him out. At the same time the person sitting next to the driver and the woman sitting on the back seat also got out. All this while, Kasab was giving cover to Ismail. Having thus snatched the car, Ismail sat on the driver’s seat and Kasab quickly sat next to him and they left. At this point Kasab asked Ismail where they had to go. Ismail said they had to go to Malabar Hill. Kasab further asked where exactly in Malabar Hill. Ismail said he would tell him on reaching Malabar Hill.
93. After going for some distance, Kasab saw that they were traveling on a road going along the sea and then he realized that this road was shown in the map by Sabauddin and Fahim as going towards Malabar Hill. While they were driving at full speed, going in the direction of Malabar Hill, they saw the barricade on the road and policemen standing around the barricade. The policemen had seen their car moving at great speed from a long distance and were asking them to stop by raising their hands and blowing their whistles. Realizing that it was impossible to cross the barricade by smashing against it, Kasab asked Ismail to stop the car at some distance from the barricade and to keep the headlights on so that the policemen would not be able to see either them or the number of their car. Ismail stopped the car at some distance from the barricade and kept the headlights on. The policemen were shouting at them and were asking them to switch off the headlights.
94. Looking around, Kasab saw that the road divider on his right was very low and thought they could cross it by driving the car at very high speed. He advised Ismail accordingly. Ismail immediately switched on the water spray on the wind screen and started the wiper. He took the car a little ahead and turned it to the right in the direction of the road divider. He drove at full speed but the car did not go over the divider and stopped there. At the same time the policemen charged at them from both sides. Realizing the gravity of the situation they both raised their hands. But the policemen kept coming at them. Seeing this Ismail tried to pick up the ‘Kalashan’ but it was kept below and he couldn’t take it out. He then picked up his pistol, which was kept on the seat, and fired at the policemen. At the same time, Kasab saw a policeman coming towards him; he opened the door of the car and got hold of his ‘Kalashan’. The police had started firing. A policeman tried to snatch the ‘Kalashan’ from him. In the struggle, Kasab fell down but he had his finger on the trigger and he pressed it. The bullets hit a policeman holding a rifle and he collapsed on the ground. The other policemen beat him with lathis and snatched the ‘Kalashan’ from his hands. Ismail was injured in the police firing and he too was overpowered.
95. Kasab said that he and Ismail were then brought to the hospital in an ambulance. In the hospital he learnt that Ismail died by police bullets. He gave his and Ismail’s names to the police and the doctors and also told them that they were Pakistanis.
96. He concluded his statement before the magistrate by saying that the doctors in the hospital cleaned and bandaged his wounds and got him admitted in the hospital. There the doctors took away his blood-smeared clothes and gave him hospital clothes to wear. When the police asked him about his colleagues and how they reached Bombay he told them everything.
97. This is the appellant’s account, as told by him to the magistrate. We now propose to take a brief look at the violent crimes committed by the appellant and his group of terrorists in Mumbai through Indian eyes. And for that we shall follow the bloody trails of the appellant and those of the other members of the terrorist group.
Source: Md.Ajmal Md.Amir Kasab @Abu … vs State Of Maharashtra (2013)3SCC(Cri)481
