Journalists interacted with 26/11 attackers depose in court

Three journalists of a private news channel on Thursday identified their voices in the conversation recorded between them and terrorists during the 26/11 terror attacks.

Compact discs containing the telephonic talks between the journalists and two terrorists Shahdulla and Imran Babbar from Hotel Oberoi and Nariman House respectively, were played before the special court.

The terrorists asked the channel to air the conversation live so that their demands were revealed to everyone.

The terrorists, while in conversation with the anchor Archana Singh of the news channel, said they wanted all the 'Mujahideens' arrested in India to be released and the minority community to be treated with respect.

The terrorists, however, claimed that they were from Deccan Hyderabad in India and were fighting for the cause of the minority community throughout the nation.

Lone surviving Pakistan gunman Ajmal Kasab and two Indians, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, are facing trial in a special court on the charge of killing 166 persons in the terror attacks.

Kasab and nine other slain terrorists had come to India from Pakistan through sea route and attacked Hotels Taj and Oberoi, Nariman House and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and planted bombs in two taxis on November 26 last year.

NSG to depose through videoconference

Meanwhile, the Union Government has proposed that the National Security Guard commandoes may depose through videoconference in the Ajmal Kasab trial.

Its lawyer, Additional Solicitor General Darius Khambata, also told the high court that identities of the three commandos might be kept secret.

Khambata asked the high court to direct trial court to confine questioning of commandos to specific operation they had taken part in, and not allow any questions relating to operational techniques or methods.

Special Judge M L Tahiliyani, who is conducting the trial against Kasab and two others with regard to November 26 Mumbai terror attacks, has summoned three NSG commandos who took part in the anti-terror operation, but the Centre is reluctant to let commandos depose.

On Thursday, Additional Solicitor General Darius Khambata submitted to the court certain suggestions as to how commanodes' evidence may be recorded by trial court.

Khambata also said that if trial court wanted to summon any more NSG commandoes in future, prosecution should seek high court's permission.

Division bench of Justices J N Patel and Amjed Sayed would pass the order on the issue on Friday.