26/11 – the country’s fastest terror attacks trial

The following New is in Mumbai Mirror

26/11 – the country’s fastest terror attacks trial

In stark contrast to earlier cases that dragged on for years, this one took just 271 working days to complete

MUMBAI MIRROR BUREAU

In what is the country’s fastest terror attacks trial, the special court, which will pronounce the verdict in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case on May 3, has recorded 3,192 pages of evidence as deposed by 653 witnesses, in just 271 working days – a stark contrast to the previous terror trials that dragged on for years.
The trial against Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Ajmal Qasab and his Indian co-accused Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Shaikh began on April 15 last year in the special court at Arthur Road Jail.
Other than working overtime to tackle the mammoth trial’s papers and procedures, the court also worked during Diwali and summer vacations when even the Bombay High Court is shut.
While 296 witnesses deposed in person, 357 witnesses’ affidavits were tendered as evidence. Other than 3,192 pages of evidence – mainly comprising witness testimonies – the prosecution presented 1,015 articles (materials seized or recovered during investigations) and 1,691 exhibits (various documents supporting the arguments).
The transcripts, presented as evidence, of the terrorists’ conversations with their Pakistani handlers totalled 413 pages.
The 26/11 trial’s fast-paced proceedings is in stark contrast to another of the city’s epic trials: the 1993 serial blasts trial against 123 accused, which took 14 years to complete.
Bearing in mind the colossal amount of work in gleaning through thousands of pages of evidence, special 26/11 judge M L Tahaliyani even sought extra help from the administrative departments of the Sessions Court in the form of two more persons to assist the nine staff members.
TRIAL BY NUMBERS
April 15, 2009: The day the trial began in the special court 3,192: Number of pages it took to record the evidence 653: The number of witnesses who deposed 413: The number of pages of transcripts of terrorists’ conversations with Pak handlers 1,015: The number of articles (materials seized or recovered during investigations) 1,691: The number of exhibits (various documents supporting the arguments) 271: The number of working days that the trial took 1,611: Questions asked to Qasab while recording his statement 29: Pages of Ajmal Qasab’s plea of guilt