Abu Jundal confesses before magistrate

Key 26/11 attack handler Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal on Sunday made a confessional statement before a magistrate here in which he is understood to have given a deep insight into Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Tayiba terror group's role in the 2008 Mumbai strikes.

30-year-old Jundal, who has been confronted with Ajmal Kasab -- the lone surviving Lashker terrorist in the Mumbai terror attacks, was produced before a metropolitan magistrate in his chamber, official sources said. Besides the two, a court clerk was also present during the proceedings.

Jundal, who is a prized catch in the case, had made a verbal plea before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate P S Rathod that he wanted to make a voluntary confession about his role in the attacks.

The magistrate had explained to Jundal the procedure with regard to recording confession under Section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code and also informed him that his confessional statement could be used against him, the sources said.

After being produced in the court on Sunday, the magistrate asked Jundal again if he had thought over his decision to confess and if he was taking the step voluntarily, to which Jundal replied in the affirmative.

Jundal, who was hitherto in the custody of the Crime Branch of Mumbai police, was on August 10 sent to Arthur Road jail in central Mumbai to ensure that he is not influenced by anyone.

A native of Beed district of Maharashtra, he was taken into custody by Mumbai Police after he was brought to the city from Delhi where he had been arrested following his deportation from Saudi Arabia in June this year.

Kasab and Jundal were earlier this week interrogated together for at least one-and-a-half hours during which Kasab identified the latter as one of the conspirators.

Police had decided to confront the two after Jundal made some revelations during interrogation about training imparted to terrorists in Pakistan.

Jundal had reportedly told the police that he had taught Hindi to the 10 Pakistani attackers.

He had allegedly issued instructions to two terrorists holed up inside Nariman House, a Jewish outreach centre, during the attack from a control room set up in Karachi and his voice had been intercepted by the intelligence agencies.

In his confessional statement, Jundal is understood to have given a deep insight into Lashker's role in the 2008 Mumbai strikes, the sources said.