Pak commission records statements of 4 witnesses in 26/11 case

**Mumbai:**The 8-member judicial commission from Pakistan, here to record statements of four key witnesses in the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks case, today took down the versions of the Investigating Officer and two doctors who had conducted post-mortem of victims. The proceedings were held in-camera before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S S Shinde for the second day today. [caption id=“attachment_248269” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The commission is expected to return back to Pakistan tomorrow. PTI”]  [/caption] Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who headed the prosecution in 26/11 trial, was also present. The Commission recorded the statement of Senior Inspector Ramesh Mahale, who had investigated the terror attacks case. Sources said that Mahale told the Commission how the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist, Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, was overpowered by police at Girgaum Chowpatty during the attacks. Mahale also spoke of incidents in which Kasab had shot at people and policemen, killing some and injuring many others. Mahale also told the Commission that Kasab had disclosed his role in the terror attacks voluntarily, and given a confession before a Magistrate here. Kasab was awarded death sentence by a Mumbai court and his appeal is pending before the Supreme Court. Later, the Commission recorded the statements of the two doctors who conducted autopsies of 26/11 victims and the nine slain terrorists, before winding up the proceedings. The Commission had yesterday recorded the statement of Magistrate R V Sawant-Waghule who had taken on record Kasab’s confession soon after his arrest. Waghule told the panel that Kasab had confessed to his role in attacks and had said that he and nine others had been sent by Lashkar-e-Taiba to unleash terror in Mumbai. The Judicial Commission has come here on behalf of the Pakistani anti-terror court which is currently hearing the case against LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and six others in connection with 26/11 attacks. The statements of the Indian witnesses would be used as evidence during the trial in Pakistan. The Commission arrived here on March 15 amidst tight security, after repeated postponements of the visit. Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said that the evidence of Indian witnesses would help Pakistan nail the perpetrators of the brazen attacks, in which 166 people, including foreigners, were killed. Legal sources said that evidence of the Indian witnesses would be crucial for the trial in the neighbouring country. The Commission is headed by Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali and includes prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar, Deputy Director of Federal Investigation Agency Azad Khan, and defence lawyers Khwaja Haris, Riyaz Akram Choudhary, Fakhar Haayat, Raja Ehassan Ulhakhan and Isaam Bin Haris. On November 26, 2008, Kasab and his accomplices landed in Mumbai by sea and unleashed mindless violence at Hotel Taj Mahal, Oberoi Hotel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus, and Nariman House. PTI