Ajmal Kasab executed in Pune's Yerawada jail

21 November, 2012

Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab, convicted for his role in the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai was hanged by neck in Pune's Yerwada jail in a secret operation at 7:30am today.

AJMAL KASAB (1987 - 2012) was a Pakistani terrorist who was involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He was the only attacker captured alive by police while the other nine attackers were killed during the shootout that carried on for days, killing 166 people.

It may be recalled that the Government of Pakistan had initially denied that Kasab was from Pakistan, but later accepted that he was a Pakistani citizen. Kasab was convicted of murder, waging war against India, possessing explosives and other charges, and was sentenced to death on four counts.

Kasab's death sentence was upheld by the Bombay High Court on 21 February 2011 and its verdict was upheld by the Supreme Court of India on 29 August 2012.

Reportedly, it was on 18 September 2012 that Kasab moved a mercy petition before the President of India, which was reportedly rejected by the President on November 5. On November 7, according to Home Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde, he gave a go ahead for the execution.

On Wednesday morning at 7:30, Kasab was executed, much to the shock of people, given the secrecy maintained by the government. Pertinent to mention, India voted against a United Nations General Assembly draft banning death penalty and today morning it acted.