I want to confess role in 26/11 attacks: Jundal to court

Abu Jundal, one of the handlers of the 26/11 terrorists, on Friday expressed his desire before a metropolitan court to confess his complicity in the brazen attacks, a day after he was confronted with Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving assassin in the case.

Thirty-year-old Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal 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, sources in the Crime Branch, which is investigating the 26/11 case, said.

The magistrate explained to him the procedure of recording the confession and also informed him that his confessional statement could be used against him.

Jundal, sources said, replied in the affirmative when asked if he wanted to make his confession voluntarily. In keeping with legal provisions, Jundal was told by the court that he would be given time to think whether he really wanted to give confession. He would be produced again before the court after two days and his statement will be recorded if he still wants to make the confession, sources said.

Jundal, who was hitherto in the custody of the Crime Branch, would now be lodged in solitary confinement at Arthur Road Central to ensure he is not influenced by anyone.

Held on the charge of participating in 26/11 attacks conspiracy, Jundal was earlier brought to the Esplanade court amid tight security and litigants and the media were asked to leave the courtroom.

Jundal, a native of Beed district of Maharashtra, was arrested in the 26/11 case by Mumbai police after he was brought here from Delhi where he had been apprehended in another case after being deported from Saudi Arabia in June.

Kasab and Jundal were on Thursday interrogated together for at least one-and-a-half hours during which the lone surviving Pakistani perpetrator of 26/11 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.

Jundal had also said that he had met LeT operative David Headley, a co-accused in the 26/11 case who had done a recce of possible targets.