Sometimes breaking into laughter, ... albeit hysterical laughter...
the man accused of being the lone surviving gunman in last year's Mumbai attacks told an Indian court on Monday that he was from Pakistan and wanted legal assistance, officials said.
"Of course I'm from Pakistain! Do I look Norwegian? I want a mouthpiece! I ain't sayin' nuttin' else widdout me mout'piece!"
The trial of Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, whom police formally charged in February with "waging war" against India, began on Monday via a video link with his prison in Mumbai.
| Apparently he's a little too nasty to be in open court ... |
| India needs to follow the legal advice of Dr N.M. Ghatate, Supreme Court Advocate and the former Vice-Chairman of its law commission. He states that Kasab has no right to a trial and has no rights under the Indian constitution. According to Ghatate, Kasb is an unlawful combatant and not entitled to any protection under the Geneva Convention or the Constitution of India. He may be detained for life, or summarily executed, or treated in any manner that India wishes. |
| Careful now, that's just the sort of thing that'll get you a stern lecture from a UN special wrapper ... |
A bearded Kasab smiled and looked composed when the judge asked him whether he had received a copy of the charges and if he wanted an attorney, a government lawyer said. "I don't have a lawyer," special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam quoted him as telling the judge. "He was smiling throughout and said that he was from Faridkot in Pakistan. He started laughing when the judge asked him if he understood everything in the charge sheet."
The attacks on India's financial hub sparked renewed tensions between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan. New Delhi says state agencies in Pakistan were involved in the attacks, while Islamabad denies this and has asked for more evidence.
Police say Kasab was one of 10 gunmen who arrived in Mumbai by sea and rampaged through landmarks including five star hotels, the main train station and a Jewish centre.
Police say Kasab, who faces a maximum sentence of death by hanging, was injured in a shootout. Pictures of the young man, wearing sneakers and carrying an automatic rifle and backpack, were published around the world after the attacks. Kasab has since been held in jail, with Indian lawyers refusing to defend him.