Kasab was at Nariman House 2 days before attack: Witness to HC

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday allowed the Centre time till January 15 to file its reply to a petition seeking a direction to NIA to probe allegations by a 26/11 witness that she had seen Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab and two others emerging from Nariman House two days before the attack.

Counsel for the government sought time to reply to the allegations contained in an affidavit filed by witness Anamika Gupta along with the petition. Gupta was herself injured in the firing by terrorists at Leopold Cafe.

The petition, filed by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar, arrested four years ago under the stringent MCOCA for his alleged links with the underworld, also sought probe into the alleged police inaction and lack of co-ordination on the night of November 26 last year.

The petition alleged that police inaction led to the death of several policemen including three senior officers.

Tirodkar's petition sought that National Investigation Agency (NIA) should probe logbooks of wireless conversations and documents related to the 26/11 attack, which it said would expose lack of co-ordination by the senior officers.

The petition alleged that the police control room was indifferent to repeated requests of reinforcement by ACP Sadanand Date, whose squad was fighting terrorists at Cama Hospital. If reinforcements had reached, slain officers Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar could have been saved, it said.

The petition further said Anamika and her friends had seen Kasab and his accomplices riding a bike at Colaba two days before the attack.

"However, the police discouraged Gupta from stating it," the petition alleged.

Anamika alleged that terrorists were residing in Nariman House for a long time holding Lady Marium at gunpoint and had made it their den. Local food vendors were supplying them food and they also had internet connections which was later disconnected for want of payment.

She further said the cable operator had an argument with the boys over internet reconnection request.

Anamika said she recognised Kasab because she had seen his photograph on television news channels after the attack.