The 26/11 attack was part of a grand conspiracy by the Lashkar-e-Toiba to target major Indian cities, weaken India’s economy and eventually try and snatch Kashmir, Ajmal Amir Kasab said in his confession. He also said that the 10 gunmen who raided Mumbai were trained by Pakistan army officers, and that they were told to specifically target foreigners in order to damage India’s ties with those countries.

Portions of Kasab’s confessions, recorded before a magistrate on February 17 when he was in police custody, were read out by special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam as the trial began in a courtroom inside Mumbai’s Arthur Road prison today.

SG Abbas Kazmi, Kasab’s lawyer, filed an application seeking to retract the confession, saying it had been extracted from Kasab under “duress”. Kazmi also argued that his client was under 18 years of age, and the court, therefore, had no jurisdiction over his trial. “He is still under 18. In such circumstances he is deemed to be a juvenile and this court has no jurisdiction to try this case,” Kazmi said.

Judge ML Tahilyani allowed the application for retraction, but rejected the contention that Kasab was not an adult. “In my considered opinion, the plea is frivolous and intended to delay the trial,” he said after inspecting Kasab in the dock. Nikam argued that Kasab had, both in his confession statement to police and on transfer to jail, said he was 21. “On the day of the incident, November 26, 2008, he had completed 21 years, two months and some 13 days,” Nikam said.

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