Court has three options after Kasab's confession: Lawyers

MUMBAI: With the lone surviving 26/11 Mumbai attack terrorist Mohammad Ajmal Kasab admitting to his guilt, both the prosecution and the defence feel that there are three options open before the court now.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam and defence lawyer Abbas Kazmi appearing for Kasab today said the special court conducting the 26/11 trial has three options following the Pakistani pleading guilty and confessing to his crime yesterday.

"The first option is for the court to accept Kasab's plea and convict him. The second option is for the court to not accept the confession and the third is for the court to accept the confession, but direct for the trial to go on," Nikam told reporters here today.

"If the court goes with the third option, then the prosecution will have to provide evidence to back Kasab's confession," Kazmi said.

He also said the prosecution should investigate the role of an Indian named Abu Jindal in the terror conspiracy as revealed by Kasab in his confession.

Nikam, however, said Kasab is a great actor and is naming new persons each time. "He is well trained and well prepared. The police will minutely evaluate every detail of his statement," he said.