A doctor, who had treated Pakistani gunman Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab said on Friday that despite injuries sustained in left hand, he (Kasab) could have fired at people from Ak-47 rifle.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said a doctor testifying that Kasab could have handled AK-47 rifle was a significant statement because the accused could have raised a probable defence that he could not have fired at people because of such injuries.

"Kasab had sustained injuries on his hand but despite the wounds he could have easily handled AK-47 rifle", Dr Venkat Ramamurthy told prosecutor Nikam.

The doctor was asked by judge M L Tahaliyani to take the rifle and feel its weight to opine whether it can be handled by a person having injuries like the one sustained by Kasab.

Another doctor, Vikas Kesari, said he had allowed police to interrogate Kasab in Nair Hospital. Kasab had told police how he had killed Amarsinh Solanki, navigator of 'Kuber', a boat through which he and others arrived in Mumbai.

But Kasab had neither signed the panchnama concerning Solanki's death nor had he given his thumb impression on the medical document, saying he had sustained injuries in hand.

The doctor, however, said in cross-examination that he could not assign any reason why police did not take Kasab's thumb impression if he was not willing to sign the panchnama.