26/11 martyrs have got justice, says Nikam

Ujjwal Nikam, special public prosecutor in the case, cried when he heard that the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence to sole arrested terrorist in 26/11 terror attack case, Ajmal Kasab.

"When I heard the news, I closed my eyes for a moment and recollected the photographs of the martyrs, the innocent people who were killed and the agonies of the injured. That I was able to do justice to them was satisfying. This is my tribute to them,” Nikam told DNA in Pune after the SC verdict.

State home minister RR Patil called up Nikam to congratulate him.

He added that he was confident that Kasab would be convicted but there was still some doubt.

"Despite being a trained terrorist, Kasab had alleged that the court had not given him enough opportunity to defend himself. He had denied that it was a rarest of rare case and he had also claimed that he had not been given any legal confirmation about the confession statement,” Nikam said.

With his consistent success in some of the biggest terror cases, Nikam has become one of the most formidable names in Maharashtra’s legal circles.

Nikam said: “This is a historic judgment for two reasons -- first, we have established that the 26/11 attacks were aimed at waging war against India and second, we have proved that the criminal conspiracy behind the attacks was hatched in Pakistan and sponsored by it. The investigations revealed that Pakistan army officers too were involved in the conspiracy. But despite evidences, Pakistan is not serious about it.”

He adds, “The findings of the apex court has boosted our morale and this will definitely convince the international community that the terror act was sponsored by Pakistan.”