Barely a week before the judgment in the case of the Mumbai terror strike on November 26, 2008, the prosecution advanced fresh evidence before the Special Sessions Court on Tuesday.
The evidence was formal in nature, comprising two affidavits of carriers and a post-mortem report of a deceased terrorist Abu Umer, who was killed at the Taj Hotel.
Chief Investigating Officer Ramesh Mahale told The Hindu that one affidavit was of the person who carried the bodies of two injured persons to hospital. They were later declared dead. The other was of the carrier who conveyed the DNA samples of all the deceased terrorists to the Forensic Science Laboratory.
With the latest submission, the total number of witnesses, oral and affidavits included, now stands at 654.
When asked about the new submissions, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said “evidence can be adduced under any stage.” He said he could not remember the name of the slain terrorist whose post-mortem report had been submitted.
The formal evidence, adduced under Section 296 (evidence of formal character on affidavit) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, was admitted by the court.
