Kasab to appeal death sentence: Lawyer

Kasab is entitled to legal aid and the Supreme Court will appoint him a lawyer.


Afp February 23, 2011

MUMBAI: The sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks is to appeal against his death sentence in India's Supreme Court, his lawyer said on Wednesday, two days after he lost an appeal in a lower court.

"I met him (Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab) today and explained that he has a right to appeal. He has given a positive reply that he would like to challenge the judgment," Farhana Shah told AFP.

Kasab, now 23, was found guilty and sentenced to death in May last year for his part in the November 2008 attacks, which saw 10 heavily-armed terrorists kill 166 people and wound more than 300.

Two judges at the Bombay High Court, which by law had to review the lower court's sentence, on Monday confirmed the verdict, saying that it fell into the "rarest of rare" categories required for capital cases.

Shah said that Kasab was waiting to receive a copy of the judgment but he would then lodge an appeal to the Supreme Court in New Delhi from the high-security jail in Mumbai where he is being held in solitary confinement.

He is entitled to legal aid and the Supreme Court would appoint him a lawyer, she added.

If the Supreme Court upholds the verdict and sentence, Kasab can appeal for clemency to India's president as a last resort.

COMMENTS (3)

G.Din | 13 years ago | Reply @Saeed: "If this man is in guilty then why he wants to appeal?" Appeal is not to decide the guilt but the severity of the sentence!
vasan | 13 years ago | Reply Sheer waste of time and money,. There should be a provision to punish the guilty with a non appealable verdict for criminals like Kasab and his ilk.
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ