Making out a strong case for capital punishment, public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said if he was given lesser penalty "India will become a soft target for every self-styled terror group".
Pakistani gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab, convicted for 26/11 terror attacks, will be sentenced on Thursday by a special court which heard the prosecution describing him as a killing machine manufactured in Pakistan and demanding that he be hanged.
Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said Kasab was a monster who laughed seeing innocent people dying in pain.
Making out a strong case for capital punishment, Nikam said if he was given lesser penalty "India will become a soft target for every self-styled terror group".
In his arguments today on the quantum of sentence to the 22-year-old terrorist, Nikam told the jampacked anti-terror court in the Arthur Road jail that Kasab's case came under the rarest of rare category for giving death sentence and that there were no mitigating circumstances.
"Such a monster should be given death penalty.... He is an agent of devil himself".
For over two hours, the prosecution contended that Kasab ruthlessly caried out the executions. "It was pre-meditated".
Defence counsel KP Pawar cited Kasab's young age and pleaded for leniency.
Dressed in a white kurta-pyjama and unshaven, Kasab kept his head bowed throughout Nikam's arguments, showing no emotions.
Seeking death for Kasab, the lone surviving gunman involved in the brazen attacks that left 166 people dead, Nikam said, "Kasab has lost every right to live.
He was not happy after killing 72 persons and wanted to kill more."
Among those he killed were 14 police officials and helpless women and children.
Kasab was found guilty on more than 80 of the 86 charges brought against him for planning and executing the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Tahaliyani held him guilty of mass murder and waging war against India.
"There has been a high degree of cruelty and Kasab had total disregard for life. Kasab is a killing machine and such machines are manufactured in Pakistan," he said.
Nikam claimed Kasab was in a "joyous" mood seeing people dying in pain and agony after opening indiscriminate fire at the bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and elsewhere on November 26, 2008.
"There was no remorse and he said in his confession before the magistrate that he wanted to inspire future fidayeens (suicide killers).
"If death is not awarded, it would be a mockery of justice," Nikam argued.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}