chief
Prime VIP
Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and slain Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Abu Ismael had planned to kill all the patients in Cama Hospital but did not succeed because of timely action by the staff and police, the Bombay high court was informed today.
The court was hearing arguments on confirmation of death sentence awarded to Kasab for his role in the 26/11 attacks.
Kasab and Ismael had decided to go to posh Malabar Hill area in furtherance of the conspiracy to kill important people but did not get a vehicle to fulfil their mission... instead they entered Cama hospital and decided to kill the patients, Maharashtra government counsel Ujjwal Nikam told a division bench.
However, they failed in their task as hospital staff used their presence of mind and locked the collapsible gates in all the wards. As the terrorists could not break the iron gates and police retaliated by firing at them, the duo took a few people as hostages in order to escape, Nikam said.
Before entering Cama Hospital, the two terrorists were moving about near the Times of India building opposite Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station in south Mumbai and their images were captured on CCTV camera.
The footage would be screened in the high court later, Nikam told Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice RV More.
Earlier, the duo stormed CST, killing 52 people and wounding 108. However, railway announcer Vishnu Zende alerted commuters in time to escape from rear entrance due to which many lives were saved.
Photojournalists Sebastian D'souza and Sriram Vernekar risked their lives by clicking their photographs and submitting them as evidence, Nikam said.
The court was hearing arguments on confirmation of death sentence awarded to Kasab for his role in the 26/11 attacks.
Kasab and Ismael had decided to go to posh Malabar Hill area in furtherance of the conspiracy to kill important people but did not get a vehicle to fulfil their mission... instead they entered Cama hospital and decided to kill the patients, Maharashtra government counsel Ujjwal Nikam told a division bench.
However, they failed in their task as hospital staff used their presence of mind and locked the collapsible gates in all the wards. As the terrorists could not break the iron gates and police retaliated by firing at them, the duo took a few people as hostages in order to escape, Nikam said.
Before entering Cama Hospital, the two terrorists were moving about near the Times of India building opposite Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station in south Mumbai and their images were captured on CCTV camera.
The footage would be screened in the high court later, Nikam told Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice RV More.
Earlier, the duo stormed CST, killing 52 people and wounding 108. However, railway announcer Vishnu Zende alerted commuters in time to escape from rear entrance due to which many lives were saved.
Photojournalists Sebastian D'souza and Sriram Vernekar risked their lives by clicking their photographs and submitting them as evidence, Nikam said.
