26/11: First eyewitness in CST firing to be examined tomorrow

MUMBAI: The first eyewitness to the firing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) will be examined by prosecution on Wednesday during the hearing of the Mumbai terror attacks case, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.

"We will be examining four eyewitnesses in the terror attack at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus on November 26 which was carried out by gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab and accomplice Abu Ismail," Nikam told on Tuesday.

Over 50 persons were killed and close to 90 injured when Kasab, the sole surviving gunman to be arrested, and Ismail allegedly started firing indiscriminately at the busy rail terminus in south Mumbai on November 26 last.

The prosecution has completed examination of witnesses in the Girgaum shootout, in which policeman Tukaram Ombale was killed, and the murder of Amarsingh Solanki, navigator of the fishing vessel `MV Kuber' which the terrorists hijacked to reach Indian waters.

"After we began the trial on May 8 we have so far examined 48 witnesses in both these cases despite the defence not admitting formal documents and attempting to delay the trial by arguing that Kasab is a juvenile," Nikam said.

"We have completed the examination of witnesses in the Ombale and Solanki murders," he said.

Three witnesses, one Customs official and two police officers, deposed before the special trial court on Tuesday.