Kasab's fate to be decided on Feb 21

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court will decide the fate of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab on February 21 when it will pronounce the judgement on confirmation of death sentence to the LeT operative in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, nine months after it was handed down by a trial court.

Justices Ranjana Desai and R V More said they were ready with the judgement even today but because of bulky paper work and heavy compilation they would pronounce the verdict on February 21.

On the same day, the judges said, they would also give judgement on the appeal filed by the Maharashtra government challenging the acquittal of co-accused Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed in the same case. They were given the benefit of doubt by the trial court.

The judges today asked government counsel Ujjwal Nikam to make arrangements for video conference link in the court for Kasab on the day of judgement in case he wanted to hear the verdict from the Arthur Road Central jail where he is lodged.

The judges expressed their inability to consider Kasab's lawyer Amin Solkar's request for postponing the verdict for February 28 as he was going abroad.

"We are happy to hear the date of judgement. The appeals and confirmation of death sentence have been decided within a span of just four months, considering the sensitive nature of the case and voluminous record", Nikam told PTI.

"The matter was kept today for directions. The judges did not have queries and so they fixed the date for giving judgement," Solkar said.