India Begins Trial of Surviving Mumbai Gunman

Says he's 21 years old; co-defendants also plead not guilty

(AP) - The only surviving suspected gunman in last year's terrorist attacks in Mumbai pleaded not guilty today to all charges against him, including waging war against India and murder. The presiding judge read out all the charges against Mohammed Ajmal Kasab in a Mumbai courtroom; Kasab responded with a plea of not guilty and said, "I don't accept these charges." Kasab will face the death penalty if convicted. More»

Kasab gets new lawyer; trail begins after delays

(NEWSER) - The sole surviving gunman and top suspect in the Mumbai massacre has retracted his confession, which his new lawyer says was coerced, the BBC reports. Now, the judge must decide whether the confession will count in the case, in which Pakistani Mohammed Ajmal Kasab is accused of killing 166 people and waging war on India in November. The trial got moving today, CNN reports, after a number of hiccups, including the barring of Kasab’s original lawyer. More»

Crowds celebrate

(AP) - Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman from the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008, was sentenced to death today by an Indian court, three days after the Pakistani was found guilty of murder and waging war against India. "Such a person can't be given an opportunity to reform himself," the judge said, rejecting the argument that Kasab had acted under pressure from the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. More»

(NEWSER) - The only surviving gunman of the deadly terror attacks in Mumbai admitted his role in the November rampage in a dramatic courtroom confession today, reports the Times of India. "Sir, I plead guilty to my crime," Ajmal Kasab told the presiding judge, before describing how the attacks were carried out. The Pakistani national also named the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba as the organizer of the attack. Until today Kasab had denied any role in the attacks, and it was unclear why he suddenly made the statement. More»

(NEWSER) - The trial of the one surviving Pakistani accused in November’s devastating attack in Mumbai started and stopped today when the judge dismissed the defendant's lawyer, the Times of London reports. Azam Amir Kasab’s court-appointed attorney was not permitted to defend him because she had previously discussed representing a victim of the attack, the judge ruled. The trial will not resume until a replacement is found. More»