Mumbai, Aug. 7: Ajmal Kasab today stunned the special court with another confession plea, his second in three weeks, only to backtrack within hours and ask the judge to continue the trial.

“Main sab kabool karna chahta hoon (I accept all the charges against me),” the lone surviving gunman of the 26/11 Mumbai attack said just before lunch break.

Judge M.L. Tahilyani asked what had happened so suddenly for him to plead guilty again. He asked the 22-year-old to consult his lawyer and come back after the break.

But Kasab, who had last pleaded guilty on July 20, did a somersault on return, saying he didn’t wish to say anything.

Tahilyani told him not to make such repeated requests for confession in the future. Asked if he wanted the trial to continue, Kasab said: “Ji haan, aapki marzi se (Yes sir, with your permission).”

His lawyer Abbas Kazmi tried to explain the flip-flop, suggesting Kasab may have been prompted to make the fresh plea as Shab-e-Baraat, considered auspicious for confessing sins, was celebrated last night.

Later, Kazmi told reporters Kasab was frustrated and was under the impression that the trial could be completed quickly. “I have explained to him that despite his pleading guilty to all charges, the trial will go on as there are two other co-accused in the case,” Kazmi said.

“He is frustrated and is losing his balance each day. The jail authorities have made several complaints against him, putting him under pressure,” Kazmi added.

The jail authorities had told the court yesterday that Kasab had flung his plate of food and demanded mutton biryani. He had also asked for the lights in his cell to be switched off in violation of rules.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam dubbed Kasab’s behaviour a “stunt” aimed at delaying the proceedings. “Kasab is a very shrewd person and keeps doing such stunts to divert the court’s attention and delay the trial.”

Nikam said Kasab’s antics were meant to save his Pakistani bosses whose names could be revealed during a planned testimony of FBI officers as witnesses. “The gunman does not want the prosecution to table evidence which FBI has collected in this case,” Nikam said.