Ajmal Kasab will file appeal in Supreme Court, says his counsel

Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab will file an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the judgment of the Bombay high court confirming death penalty awarded to him for his role in the 26/11 terror attacks, his counsel Farhana Shah said today.

Kasab told his lawyer, who met him in jail this afternoon, that he wished to move an appeal in the apex court.

Shah said that she informed Kasab that the high court had, in its judgment, upheld the trial court's verdict awarding him death penalty.

However, Shah said she did not give details of the high court verdict upholding the trial court's judgement but mentioned to him that he had a right to challenge the order in the Supreme Court. She informed Kasab that he would soon get a copy of the high court judgment.

"He (Kasab) was quiet and listened to what I said. Finally, he said 'Theek hai, hum Supreme Court jayenge' (Ok, we would go to the Supreme Court)," Shah said.

"Kasab did not speak much and this may be a fallout of his solitary confinement," she said, adding that he wanted to read newspapers in his cell.

Kasab's lawyer told him that she would not be in a position to give him newspapers as she did not have any such authority and asked him to make such a request to the jailor.

"To this, Kasab merely nodded his head," Shah said.

The high court had on February 21 confirmed the death penalty awarded to Kasab while dismissing the Maharashtra government's appeal challenging the acquittal of Indian co-conspirators Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed in the 26/11 case.