26/11 court issues warrants against 22 Pakistanis

MUMBAI: The trial court hearing the 26/11 terror attack cases on Tuesday issued non-bailable warrants against 22 absconding accused, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafeez Saeed and head of operations of Lashkar-e-Toiba Zaki-ur-Rehman Laqvi.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam submitted a list of the absconding accused along with their addresses to the trial court and sought issuance of warrants against them.

Judge M L Tahaliyani directed the Mumbai police Commissioner and CBI Director (Police) to execute the warrants through interpol.

Earlier, the court had not issued the warrants because it had asked the prosecution to provide complete addresses of the accused, believed to be in Pakistan. The Prosecution got the addresses from the Centre and made a fresh plea for issuance of warrants.

Of the 35 absconding accused, prosecution got addresses of only 27 but the court issued warrants against 22 after it was satisfied that they were allegedly involved in the Mumbai terror attacks.

Nikam informed the court about their involvement in the attacks. He said all of them were members of LeT and had taken part in the conspiracy to unleash terror in Mumbai. They had trained captured gunman Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab and nine others in warfare and terrorist activities.