The trial in the Mumbai terror attack case opened on Friday with the sole surviving terrorist Mohammed Amir Ajmal Kasab seeking retraction of his confession and the prosecution hinting at Pakistan army's involvement in training him and the other terrorists, who were killed.

The trial commenced with the new defence lawyer S G Abbas Kazmi, appointed by the court after Anjali Waghmare was replaced, filing an application that Kasab wanted to retract his statement made before a magistrate.

Kazmi told Judge M L Tahilyani that the accused was retracting his confession as it was taken under "duress" by police.

The court, which is yet give its ruling on the issue, however, rejected Kasab's contention that he was a minor and not not 21 as claimed by the prosecution and that he should be tried under the Juvenile Justice Act.

Opening the case, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam alleged that Kasab, who was arrested on the night of November 26 last, and the killed terrorists had received military and intelligence training in Pakistan under a conspiracy hatched by Lashkar-e-Toiba in Pakistan to ultimately capture Jammu and Kashmir.

Nikam did not name Pakistan Army or ISI having trained the accused. But he repeatedly referred to Major General Sahab and Col R Saadat, who figured in Kasab's confession as supervisory officers of the training imparted to accused.

Nikam based his submissions on the confession made by Kasab before a magistrate.

The confession was today opened in the court and Nikam read out some portions to point out that the perpetrators of the crime had been given precise military and intelligence training in Pakistan.

... contd.