The dramatic confession of the lone surviving gunman Abdul Kasab admitting his crime in the Mumbai terror attacks triggered a collective gasp in the court room and left lawyers perplexed raising questions where it was voluntary or a ploy.

Ujwal Nikam, the Special Public Prosecutor in the high-voltage case, admitted he was "surprised" at the "unexpected" confession for the first time in the court hailing it as as a big victory for the prosecution.

He said Kasab(21) may have realised that the "cat is out of the bag" after 134 witnesses gave evidence against him since the trial began in April.

But another criminal lawyer Satish Manishinde counselled caution saying it should be known whether the "belated" confession was voluntary and whether he was coerced or got any instructions even though there was "clinching evidence to his involvement.

The action of the Pakistani national pleading guilty on the 65th day of his trial in the high security Arthur road prison left those in the special court shocked.

And Judge M.L. Tahiliyani, who was apparently taken aback, called lawyers from both sides to figure out the significance of Kasab's statement.

"We are surprised that Kasab has abruptly taken this stand (of confessing to involvement in 26/11 attacks)," said Nikam.

"Everybody in the court was shocked the moment he said he accepts his crime. It was unexpected," he said, adding," We are minutely assessing what he admitted in court," he said.

Harish Salve, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, said it is not clear if Kasab confessed voluntarily.

... contd.