Kasab laughs when shown his pic during trial

During the deposition of photojournalist Shriram Vernekar, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam showed Kasab his photos clicked by the photographer, prompting the gunman to laugh.

Vernekar, the second photojournalist to have photographed Kasab during the November 26 terror strikes, said he had heard firing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and rushed there from his office at the nearby Times of India building.

According to Vernekar, on reaching the rear gate of the terminus he saw two persons firing indiscriminately inside the station and saw the two gunmen taking the pedestrian bridge towards the TOI building from CST.

The photojournalist told the court that frightened by the shooting he decided not to go on the bridge and instead rushed to the second floor of his office building from where he had a clear view of the bridge.

Vernekar said he saw the terrorists throwing hand grenades and firing from the bridge and he took a photo of Kasab coming down the stairs of the bridge.

Due to the dim light he used a flash and on seeing the light Kasab had turned in that direction and fired six shots at the building, the witness said.

After being fired at, Vernekar said he ducked for cover and did not see what happened after that.

Earlier, another photojournalist Sebastian D'souza had also submitted photographic evidence of Kasab along with accomplice Abu Ismail firing at the CST, to the court.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said the photos were clinching evidence against Kasab as in this case the camera has done job of eyewitness.

The photographs taken by Vernekar were submitted to the court and they would corroborate the statements of other eyewitnesses, Nikam said.

Vernekar also denied a suggestion by defence counsel Abbas Kazmi that the photographs have been morphed or altered in any way.