By IANS,
Mumbai : Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab has again demanded to be physically present in Bombay High Court, where the proceedings on the confirmation of his death sentence are on, his lawyer said Friday.
Kasab attended the proceedings of the court through video conferencing only for a short while, after which he got up and left the area, refusing to return to the camera.
“Kasab insisted he wants to be present in the court to attend the proceedings. Also he reiterated his demanded that his case be referred to an international human rights courts in the US,” his lawyer Farhana Shah said.
Kasab also said that he does not believe in video conferencing.
“He does not understand that the court has already decided against his physical presence in the court and that it cannot be reviewed. We explained to him the threat perception but Kasab still insists on appearing personally before the high court,” Shah added.
Kasab complained of solitary confinement to his lawyers – Shah and Amin Solkar – who met him at the Arthur Road jail Thursday.
“He said he is not being given newspapers or books to read in spite asking for them. He complained of being mentally disturbed because of the confinement,” Shah said.
Kasab had Wednesday remained absent for the court proceedings, while Tuesday, he had demanded in Hindi that he wanted to attend the court proceedings in person, instead of on video-conferencing, which was declined by the judges on security grounds.
During the proceedings Tuesday, Kasab had also attempted to get up and go away from the camera and jail officials complained to the court. On one occasion, he even spat at the camera.
Meanwhile, government counsel Ujjwal Nikam told the Bombay High Court Friday that Kasab and nine other terrorists had also planned to strike at Mumbai’s high profile Malabar Hill area where the governor, the chief minister and other VIPs reside.
A division bench of Justices Ranjana Desai and R.V. More are hearing the case.
Special Judge M.L. Tahaliyani May 6 sentenced Kasab to death, and the sentence has now come up for confirmation before the Bombay High Court.
Kasab was the only Pakistani gunman nabbed alive from the group of 10 terrorists who sneaked into Mumbai and created mayhem between Nov 26-29, killing 166 people, including 26 foreigners, and injuring around 300 others.