Hafiz Saeed

Mumbai, July 21: Ajmal Kasab’s statement in court yesterday does not name Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Saeed or a Pakistani “colonel” the gunman had mentioned in his earlier confession recorded before a magistrate.

According to the terrorist’s confession to the police, recorded a few days after the November 26-28 attacks last year, Saeed was the mastermind. “But in his confessional statement (yesterday), he has conveniently omitted that bit,” said special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

Kasab instead named Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi as the mastermind.

Saeed was recently released from house arrest he had been placed under after 26/11. Pakistan has not charged him in the case so far, though Saeed is among those most wanted by India.

Nikam said Kasab can retract his earlier confession. But if the statement is found to be true according to evidence, he can be nailed for perjury.

In the earlier confession, Kasab had also stated that a Pakistani army officer, Colonel R. Sadatulla — among the 35 named as accused by India — had accessed an email ID through which the attackers and their handlers in Pakistan communicated. “These facts clearly indicate the Pakistani establishment’s involvement,” Nikam said.

In his statement yesterday, Kasab mentioned several Lashkar handlers — Lakhvi, Abu Hamza, Abu Qama, Abu Kafa and, intriguingly, one “Saeed bhai”.

“Kasab has given out inane details but he has hidden the real information cleverly. We want to know who is this Saeed bhai. I will request the court to bring all this to light. I would also like to know whether he (Kasab) has anything to say about Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 26/11,” said Nikam.

Nikam brushed aside Kasab’s claim that Abu Jundal, a Lashkar trainer he met in Karachi, was a “Hindustani”. “It has nothing to do with his case,” he said.

Joint commissioner (crime) Rakesh Maria said the police would verify who Jundal is since this is the first time Kasab has mentioned him.