The court also held that the absconding accused, including LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and operations chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, were involved in the conspiracy.
Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving Pakistani gunman in the Mumbai carnage of November 26-28, 2008, in which 166 persons were killed, was today held guilty of mass murder and waging war against India by a special sessions court.
The judge, however, acquitted two Indians accused of participating in the conspiracy.
In the fastest trial in a terror case, special judge RH Tahaliyani delivered a 1,522-page verdict in which he held that evidence in the 2008 terror attack pointed at Pakistan's involvement.
The quantum of sentence will be delivered after the court hears arguments by the prosecution and the defence tomorrow.
The maximum punishment Ajmal can get is the death penalty.
The evidence also established that absconding accused, including Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Mohammed Sayeed and operations chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, were involved in the terror attacks, the judge said, wrapping up a year-long trial in which 658 witnesses were examined.
Except for minor charges pertaining to forgery and a few others under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Kasab was convicted on almost all the 86 charges framed against him.
"Maine tumko doshi paya hai kyun ki aapne desh ke khilaf jung kiya aur 166 logon ki jaan lee apne doston se milkar" (I hold you guilty of waging war against the nation along with your associates and killing 166 people)," the judge told Ajmal, 22, a native of Faridkot village in Punjab province of Pakistan.
Home minister P Chidambaram said the judgment underlines
the fact that India is governed by the rule of law in which every accused is given a fair trial.
"The judgment is a message to Pakistan that they should not export terror to India. If they do and we apprehend the terrorists, we will bring them to justice and give them exemplary punishment," he said in New Delhi.
Ajmal, who was unshaven and was wearing a white kurta, showed no emotions and sat impassively with his head bowed as the verdict was pronounced in the high-security Arthur Road jail.
The court acquitted Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, who were accused of helping the Lashkar plot the attack. They smiled broadly after being acquitted.
"The prosecution's evidence against these two accused is doubtful and hence the benefit of doubt must go to them," the judge said, dismissing the prosecution case based on the alleged recovery of a map of terror targets the two had helped the terrorists with.
Special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said he was happy that Ajmal had been convicted and unhappy that Ansari and Ahmed were
set free. "We will appeal against the acquittal," he said.
Ajmal, along with nine slain terrorists also belonging to the Lashkar, was charged with killing 166 people, including 25 foreigners, and injuring 304 others at the instance of the terrorist group during the 60-hour siege that began on the night of November 26, 2008, bringing Mumbai to its knees.
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