Cost of keeping Kasab: Rs 53 crore & counting

MUMBAI: Senior IPS officers and top bureaucrats associated with the 26/11 case said the Maharashtra government has so far spent Rs 53.5 crore on Ajmal Amir Kasab, even though home minister R R Patil submitted on Wednesday that it has spent only Rs 20 crore — an estimate a senior IPS officer felt was a deliberate attempt to lower the figure.

The officer said the amount comprises Rs 43 crore spent on special security at the Arthur Road Jail, expenses on judicial officers, special public prosecutor, security cover for the judge and lawyers and Rs 8 crore on a special cell built on home minister P Chidambaram’s orders. Special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam said, “Huge expenditure is not important, what is more important is that since he was caught alive, we were able to expose Pakistan,” Nikam said.

Kasab not aware of verdict: Kasab spent the day oblivious of the SC verdict, with policemen at the Arthur Road Jail forbidden from informing him of the death sentence.