India's Supreme Court stays Mumbai gunman's execution

India's Supreme Court stays Mumbai gunman's execution

2011-10-11 05:48:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW DELHI (BNO NEWS) -- India's Supreme Court on Monday issued a stay of execution for the sole surviving gunman who participated in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Press Trust of India reported. The court will first hear his plea before making a decision.

Ajmal Kasab, who is linked to the Pakistan-based Islamist group the Lashkar-e-Taiba, was sentenced to death by hanging in Mumbai in May 2010 on charges including murder and waging war against the state. He was the only terrorist who was captured alive following a three-day rampage by ten gunmen in November 2008.

The Supreme Court said that it would like to hear Kasab's mercy petition at length as due process of law has to be followed, even though many feel that the appeal should be outrightly rejected. In February, a Bombay High Court rejected Kasab's appeal.

While staying Kasab's death sentence and agreeing to deal with the appeal expeditiously, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court also permitted Kasab to furnish additional grounds to challenge the sentence awarded to him.

The November 26 attack in Mumbai was executed by ten Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives which arrived by sea. The group divided in two and carried out an unprecedented attack for 60 hours at the Hotels Taj Mahal and Oberoi-Trident and Jewish outreach center Nariman House in South Mumbai.

Overall, the terrorists killed 166 people and injured 238 others. Nine of them were killed by Indian security forces after the siege and Kasab was caught alive at Girgaum Chowpatty. The attacks caused damages worth around $34 million.

After the attacks, India halted the Composite Dialogue with Pakistan. However, India and Pakistan decided to resume peace talks in October 2010. The talks involved the issues of counter-terrorism, peace and security, the disputed Kashmir region, and the economy.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-10-11