Mumbai Gunman's Lawyer Bounced, Delaying Trial

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»

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»

(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»

Concession comes after India shares 100-page evidence dossier

(NEWSER) - The Pakistani government finally admitted today that the lone surviving gunman from November’s Mumbai attacks is its citizen, the BBC reports. It’s the first time India’s rival conceded a connection to the terrorist siege, despite weeks of heavy US pressure to comply. The foot-dragging was partly to appease Pakistanis, who resent India’s haste to blame them, adds the Los Angeles Times. More»

Kasab appears via video link from prison, could face death

(AP) - The trial of the surviving gunman from last year's Mumbai terror attacks began today with Mohammed Ajmal Kasab addressed the court via video link from prison because of concerns he poses too great a security risk to appear in person. He indicated to an Indian court today he would accept a government-provided attorney and repeated that he was from Pakistan. More»