Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab hanged by neck in Pune's Yerwada jail in secret operation

(L) Mohd Ajmal Kasab during the Mumbai attack on November 26, 2008. (R) Tukaram Ombale, the Mumbai Police assistant sub-inspector Tukaram Ombale, who lost his life while capturing Kasab alive.

In a top-secret operation, Pakistan national Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab was hanged in the high-security Yerwada Jail in Pune early on Wednesday after a four-year-long trial. Kasab, who was being kept at the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, was moved to the Yerwada jail earlier on Sunday night.
The lone surviving gunman in the Mumbai attack of November 26, 2008 was shifted to the Yerwada Jail following the rejection of his mercy petition by the President earlier on November 5.
In a formal announcement made by Maharashtra home minister early at 8:30 am on Wednesday, RR Patil said, "Kasab's hanging is a tribute to all the 166 people killed as well as those police officer martyred in the attack."
"Today, 7:30AM, Ajmal Kasab was hanged in the Uerwada prison," confirmed Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde. "Of the 10 people who attacked Mumbai, one was arrested alive. Just as I landed from the Interpol meeting in Rome on November 5, the mercy petition lay before me. We had recommended that his mercy petition be rejected. Later, it was rejected by the President on November 7, and the file sent to the Maharashtra government on November 8. Following this, the date of November 21 was set for the hanging."
When asked if a death warrant was issued, Shinde said in the negative. In fact, the process leading up to execution was kept unusually top secret in a bid to avoid political wranglings over the hanging issue.
"The secrecy was necessary as it was a high-profile operation. The Pakistani high commission was informed of the decision to hang Kasab by letter, phone and fax, but it was ignored," added Shinde.
When asked if Pakistan has made a request for Kasab's body, Shinde said, "If there is a request for Kasab's body, we would have obliged, but there was no such request." When asked if burying Kasab's body in India would lead to any issue, akin to the US suspicion in case of Osama bin Laden, Shinde said, "India has suffered enough."
The bodies of all the other bodies of the terrorists killed in the Mumbai attack were buried in India after Pakistan refused to claim them.
Kasab was filmed walking through Mumbai's main train station carrying an AK-47 assault rifle and a knapsack on his back. India accuses Pakistan-based militants of organising the Mumbai attacks, saying Islamabad is failing to act against those behind the raids. Pakistan, however, denies involvement and says it is prosecuting seven suspected militants for their role.
It may be recalled that the visit by the Pakistan interior minister Rehman Mallik due to begin on November 22, was cancelled at the last minute as India did not want to host a Pakistani delegation at the time of the execution which was pre-decided soon after the President rejecting Kasab's mercy plea.
Once a mercy plea is rejected by the President, the case goes back to the trial court, which then takes into account the Supreme Court upholding its death sentence order. The trial court then sets up a date for the hanging. However, in this case, the decision may been taken on the prison officer's level itself, thus opening a debate on the issue.
Sentenced to death by the Bombay High Court in last October, Kasab was convicted on charges ranging from treason to waging war against India. His appeal in the Supreme Court was turned down in August.
"It is a warning for those trying to instigate terror attacks in India, as well as succour for those who have suffered due to these attacks," said BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
The hanging of the Mumbai attacker a day before the winter session of the Parliament is expected to provide a temporary succour to the government facing a no-confidence motion against it.

२६ नोव्हेंबर २००८ रोजी मुंबईवर झालेल्या दहशतवादी हल्ल्यातील एकमेव जिवंत पाकिस्तानी अतिरेकी मोहम्मद अमीर अजमल कसाब याला आज फासावर लटकण्यात आले. पुण्याच्या येरवडा मध्यवर्ती कारागृहात सकाळी ठीक ७ . ३० वाजता क्रूरकर्मा कसाबचा ' हिशेब ' करण्यात आला.

राष्ट्रपती प्रणव मुखर्जी यांनी ५ नोव्हेंबर रोजी दयेचा अर्ज फेटाळल्यानंतर केंद्रीय गृह मंत्रालय आणि महाराष्ट्र सरकारने कसाबच्या फाशीची तयारी सुरू केली. त्यानुसार मंगळवारी मध्यरात्री गुपचूपपणे कसाबला मुंबईच्या आर्थर रोड जेलमधून पुण्याला नेण्यात आले . तिथेच सकाळी कसाबला फाशी देण्यात आली .

ऑपरेशन एक्स ओव्हर

कसाबच्या फाशीला ' ऑपरेशन एक्स ' असे सांकेतिक नाव देण्यात आले होते. सकाळी फाशी झाल्यानंतर काही वेळातच डॉक्टरांनी कसाबला मृत घोषित केले. त्यानंतर ठीक ७ वाजून ४६ मिनिटांनी गृहमंत्र्यांना फोन करून ' ऑपरेशन एक्स ओव्हर ' असे कळविण्यात आले. त्यानंतर काही वेळाने ही बातमी जाहीर करण्यात आली.

काय होता कसाबचा गुन्हा ?

कसाब आणि त्याच्या नऊ साथीदारांनी २६ नोव्हेंबर २००८ रोजी मुंबईवर दहशतवादी हल्ला केला होता . हवालदार तुकाराम ओंबळे यांनी स्वतःच्या जीव धोक्यात घालून कसाबला जीवंत पकडले होते . या कारवाईत ओंबळे शहीद झाले , पण त्यांच्या धाडसामुळे पाकिस्तानचा दहशतवादी चेहरा उघड झाला . अटकेनंतर कसाबची रवानगी मुंबईच्या आर्थर रोड जेलमध्ये झाली होती . कोर्टात केस सुरू असताना कसाबला कडेकोट बंदोबस्तात आर्थर रोड जेलमध्ये ठेवण्यात आले होते . ठोस पुराव्यांआधारे पोलिसांनी कसाबचा गुन्हा कोर्टात सिध्द केला . कोर्टाने कसाबला दोषी ठरवून फाशीची शिक्षा दिली . या शिक्षेवर हायकोर्टाने शिक्कामोर्तब केले . त्यानंतर कसाबने फाशीचे रुपांतर जन्मठेपेत व्हावे म्हणून सुप्रीम कोर्टात अर्ज केला . मात्र सुप्रीम कोर्टाने शिक्षा कायम ठेवली . निरपराधांवर गोळीबार करणा - या कसाबने फाशीची शिक्षा माफ व्हावी यासाठी राष्ट्रपतींकडे दयेचा अर्ज केला होता . हा अर्जही फेटाळण्यात आला होता.