Ajmal Kasab is not going to the gallows anytime soon

Even after the Bombay high court’s confirmation of the death penalty, Ajmal Kasab won’t be sent to the gallows immediately because he can appeal against the punishment in the supreme court.

After receiving the certified copy of the judgment from the high court, which can take about a month, he will have 60 days to file an appeal in the apex court. All Kasab has to do is write a letter to the Arthur road jail superintendent saying that he does not agree with the judgment, and that he wants to appeal against it.

The official will then forward it to the high court judicial registrar’s office, which will relay it to the Supreme Court. Acting on Kasab’s application, the apex court will have to appoint advocates from the legal aid panel for Kasab, as was done for the high court proceedings.

Since in the Supreme Court all documents and evidence has to be in English, the Bombay high court will have to translate all the evidence collected in the Mumbai terror attack case by the crime branch, like statement of evidence and panchnama reports, all of which is in Marathi, and send it to the supreme court. The state will have to pay for the cost. If the Supreme Court upholds high court's decision, Kasab can appeal to the president of India.