2008 Mumbai attacks: Pakistani panelists stopped from cross-questioning Indian officials

Judicial panel completes recording statement, will return home on Wednesday.


Asad Kharal March 19, 2012

LAHORE: An eight-member panel  who was in India to record statements of the Indian officials who had interviewed Ajmal Kasab and conducted autopsy of the gunmen killed in the terror attack has complained that Indian authorities did not allow them to cross-question.

A member of the panel, while talking to The Express Tribune confirmed that the panel had completed recording statements of the Indian officials including the Chief investigative officer who had questioned Ajmal Kasab and two doctors who had conducted autopsy on eight of his accomplices.

Over 160 people were killed and many more injured when 10 gunmen rampaged through the streets of Mumbai in November 2008 – including the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. India had blamed the Pakistan based charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa( JuD), and its militant wing Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

A member of panel while talking to The Express Tribune complained that despite being given the mandate, the defence as well as the prosecution lawyers were stopped by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Judicial Commission) from cross-examining the Chief Investigator, lady magistrate and doctors who had recorded statements of Ajmal Kasab and conducted the autopsy of those who had been killed during attacks respectively.

When the Pakistani team insisted that it be given the chance, Indian officials angrily replied that the panel had no such mandate despite the fact the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate appointed as Judicial Commission by the Chief Justice of Mumbai High Court for recording the evidence in compliance to the order of Anti Terrorism Court No1 Rawalpindi in his order had allowed to the defence lawyers as well prosecutors to cross examine.

Another panel member said that proceedings had been completed in only two days.

The panel is due to leave India on Wednesday because the delay in flight schedules to Pakistan.

Documents of proceedings, including statements of the Chief Investigator, Lady Magistrate and two doctors will be sent to Pakistan by the Indian government through formal diplomatic channel, sources familiar with the matter further revealed.

COMMENTS (58)

Balochi liberal | 12 years ago | Reply

@Bhindian: "lol raging indians here are funny"..... I am sure you will laugh louder when terrorists repeat the Mumbai massacre in your city......but I know you will over whelmingly without any proof and even if TTP says "we did it" , claim that India and RAW did it. Nobody expects anything better from likes of you. You and your likes have become daily joke in every global media.

Balochi liberal | 12 years ago | Reply @Hasan: "rude awakening as to how much – or how little – we really care for their internal terror issues,their hypocritical mudslinging, or their laughably impotent threats. "..................There is so much wrong in that one sentence and yet it precisely projects the typical Pakistani mentality. Once again by your words it is proven how impossible, Pakistanis are. So let us correct your sentence. Rude awakening ??....you are being sarcastic right ? ...... not just India but the whole world is aware of how little you value people's life and how much you support barbaric movements like Jihad. "Laughably impotent threat".....only people who are immune to threats are one who always live under constant threat like we are under our own preserved assets and two who do not have anything to loose, which is true in our case, we dont have any infrastructure or any institution to save if India really attacks. Infact they will truly face more damage since they have many things to loose.
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