The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the two alleged conspirators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, both Indian nationals, on an appeal filed by the Maharashtra government against their acquittal.
A Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and R.M. Lodha, after hearing senior counsel Gopal Subramaniam, who appeared for the State, also agreed to take up on the next date of hearing the appeal filed by the Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab challenging the death sentence awarded to him by the lower court and confirmed by the Bombay High Court on February 21.
Though Justice Alam told Mr. Subramaniam “it [the appeal against an acquittal] is a weak case”, the court agreed to hear the appeal. Kasab is the only Pakistani terrorist who was caught alive after the attack; nine of his accomplices were killed. The attack claimed 166 lives and left 238 injured.
The High Court, confirming the acquittal, had said: “The prosecution has not been able to establish beyond reasonable doubt evidence of the two being part of the conspiracy.”
