"This case has to be heard on top priority," Supreme Court judge Aftab Alam told the court. "It is the demand of the judicial system that we have to hear this appeal."
Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, one of 10 gunmen who laid siege to Mumbai for nearly three days killing 166 people, was convicted in May 2010.
Kasab was found guilty of a string of crimes including waging war against India, murder, attempted murder and terrorist acts after a trial at a maximum security prison court in Mumbai.
The first appeal by the 23-year-old school drop-out from a poor farming area in Pakistan's Punjab failed in February, when the state high court in Mumbai confirmed both his conviction and death sentence.
India reserves executions, which are carried out by hanging, for the "rarest of the rare" offences.
During the trial, the prosecution produced fingerprint, DNA, eyewitness and camera evidence showing Kasab opening fire and throwing grenades in the bloodiest episode of the November 26 attacks at Mumbai's main railway station.
A number of senior police officers, including the head of the Maharashtra state anti-terrorism squad, were killed as the gunmen fled the scene of the carnage.
Three luxury hotels, a popular tourist restaurant and a Jewish centre were also targeted by the other gunmen.
India has accused the banned group Lashkar-e-Taiba of being behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which led to the suspension of fragile peace talks between the two neighbours and rivals.
If the Supreme Court upholds the verdict and sentence, Kasab can appeal for clemency to India's president Pratibha Patil as a last resort.
Executions are rare in India. Most death sentences are commuted to life imprisonment, and convicts can sit on death row for years awaiting a final decision on their pleas for clemency.
Afzal Guru, who was convicted of conspiring with the gunmen who attacked India's parliament in 2001, killing 10 people, has been on death row for nearly a decade.
His appeal against his death sentence was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2006.
The last execution in India was in 2004 when a 41-year-old former security guard was hanged for the rape and murder of a 14-year-old schoolgirl.
In May this year, however, Patil unexpectedly rejected a mercy petition from a murderer in the northeastern state of Assam, leaving the state scrabbling to find a hangman.
Many of the small number of known hangmen nationwide have either died or retired in recent years.
COMMENTS (16)
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@goggi
You are simply deluded. The fact that kasav is a Pakistani was first discovered not by Indians. It was by a journalist from UK paper Guardian, who travelled as far s his village near Mudidke and even interviewed his father who, somehow disappeared from the scene after the interview. I leave it to your fertile imagination to speculate who is behind his disappearance. Though most of us a have a fairly accurate answer.
@Cynical: Your under-average comments are not the answer of my logical questions. As a translator for the German Police, I have met more Punjabis then you have hair on your head! I hope you are not a skinhead. Wise Man, Kasab Singh is in the protection of very influential and powerful Invisibles of your country who provide him all the luxuries of life including biryani! According to my average opinion, he shall Nevvvvvver be executed! ........Jeeve Pakistan
@A.Khan: Cry all you can. The fact remains he is Pakistani, his parents were found in Pakistan. Even your country accepted him to be Pakistani. I am surprised how few of you are still under denial and hope that he suddenly changes into Gujarati or Marathi. Even a 10 yr old can pick up an accent within hours of being in a surrounding. If you really cannot mimic an accent then you are seriously challenged guy. I do pity you.
Kasab is probably a vegetarian. His native language (in which his statement is recorded) is not from any part of pakistani side of punjab but i have couple of friends from indian side of punjab (from Harayana or something) and his accent is similar to them.
We Indians are proud of our judiciary which is giving a fair trial to a murderer, accused of killing more than fifty innocent civilians in cold blood.
Oh dear! Sentenced to death?... to meet his creator?! But as he said... "BHAGWAAN KABHI MUJHE MAAF NAHIN KERAY GA!"
atleast tell that let them hang the culprit...pakisthan u would never prosper with this mentality...if i have to read history and hate ppl, we indians can also do that...but we want to move ahead in life, have a developed country and everyone here does a bit..but we dont accept alms like u pakisthan....atleast tell if he is a criminal then he should be hanged...i feel pity of the common man of pakisthan
@goggi
You are a true Pakistani (average). And sorry I am not proud of you.
As long as india keeps on brutally oppressing the muslims of Kashmir & other minorities millions of more kasab will born and this can't be stopped by india jumping on the US boat & accusing PAK or any other country.
@Kabir: when a crime is committed, one needs WATERTIGHT PROOFS AND STATEMENTS! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dWfhWdBzzw&feature=related.........................besides his native Gujarati or Marathi accent, note his grammar mistakes similar to the interrogators! e.g. 1.25 hamari aankhon par Patti THA ! ask 1 million Punjabi villagers whether Patti HOTI HE ya HOTA HE? 3.08 BHAGWAN mujhe nahi maaf kare ga! 4.15 umar hoyeNga .....umar HOTI he and secondly which Pakistani says HoyeNga? hehehe
check the statements which given by kasab in his native language All are uploaded on youtube
state of deniel. you can't progress until you come out of it.
Mumbai is still waiting for justice.
This man is not a Punjabi (either east or west Punjab)! Most probably an Indian Gujrati. Before they hang him, why don´t they let us watch him speaking half an hour in his native language? THEY SHALL NEVVVER!