Aarushi''s parents move High Court challenging CBI court order

Allahabad, Feb 21 (PTI) The parents of Aarushi Talwar today moved the Allahabad High Court challenging a CBI court order making them accused in the murder of their teenaged daughter and domestic help, Hemraj, three years ago.

The petition, filed by Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, has challenged the Ghaziabad court order of February 9 in which the couple has been made the accused on the basis of CBI''s closure report and also charged with engaging in criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.

According to the Talwars'' counsel Gopal Chaturvedi, the petitioners have submitted that the CBI court had passed its order "without taking into consideration the objections submitted by us".

The case is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday, February 23.

Aarushi was found dead inside her Noida residence in May 2008 with her throat slit and the body of Hemraj was recovered later from the terrace.

The CBI, which was entrusted with the investigation in the case following an uproar over the alleged shoddy probe by Uttar Pradesh police, had recently submitted its closure report pointing fingers at the parents though it maintained there was no conclusive evidence.

However, the court decided to proceed with the trial against the couple observing that there was "enough evidence" against them.

On March 1, poll dates to be out for Bengal, TN & 3 others

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission is likely to announce on March 1 the schedule for elections in five states, setting the stage for a contest which is crucial for both Congress and Left.

Government sources said that Commission is considering to stagger polls in West Bengal over five phases. For Assam, a two-phase poll seems likely, while elections in Tamil Nadu may be a one-day affair. Details for Kerala and Puducherry have also been worked out, making a March 1 notification a distinct possibility.

The ensuing polls are the first time since 1977 when CPM runs a real risk of losing power in West Bengal. With the party on the backfoot also in Kerala, another Left-controlled state where elections are due, the Marxists face the bleak prospect of losing power simultaneously in two of their strongholds. Having already been dislodged from power at the Centre, the polls could really aggravate the power drought for the Marxists.

If Marxists have to contend with fear of losses, for Congress the cruciality of the forthcoming encounter lies in the expectations the party has from it. The party is looking at a 4:1 scoreline: something it hopes will help reverse the perception of decline and can enable it to assert vis-a-vis not just the rivals and partners, but also in relation to the grandees within the government who have refused to heed the "perform-or-perish" signals from the leadership.

In West Bengal, the Congress is confident of sweeping the polls with its alliance partner, Trinamool.

The leadership balked at a major surgery last month because it was wary of repercussions for the budget session.

Both the PM and Congress have since indicated that the central ministry and the party organisation will be recast after the budget session, and a favourable outcome may give them the space as well as the confidence to attempt something bolder this time.

The party is confident of prevailing in Kerala. The state shuffles between the Congress-led UDF and CPM-led LDF every five years. The results of the Lok Sabha polls as well as local bodies suggest that the pattern may hold this year as well. In Assam, the party is confident of Tarun Gogoi retaining chief minister's post. It is encouraged by the strong possibility that AGP and BJP will not be able to have an alliance. Jama'at-ul-Ulema's attack on Badruddin Ajmal whose AUDF poached Muslim votes in the last elections is another comforting development. As a matter of fact, it expects to improve its seats this time.

While the party is confident of its prospects in Puducherry, it realises that it has a tough task on its hand in Tamil Nadu because of the deadly blend of inflation and spectrum stench hurting its partner DMK. Congress feels that the DMK will put up a tough fight. The Dravidian party is laying great store by the goodwill that it thinks populist schemes have generaated. It is also credited with perfecting the art of converting poll-time favours to voters into votes for the party.

Congress managers, however, feel that the advantages can be offset because of the stink over spectrum scam and unease over inflation. It also has to contend with Jayalalithaa's succeess in swinging an alliance with actor Vijaykanth's DMDK. 'Captain' has emerged as a factor in TN politics and an alliance will prevent the split in the anti-DMK votes.

TOI

PM may announce JPC on 2G today

NEW DELHI: The government is likely to announce a 21-member Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G spectrum scam with the Prime Minister all set to make a statement in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The Congress reluctantly agreed to set up the committee but would like it to wind up its proceedings by the next parliament session so that it does not cast a shadow over the government's functioning beyond a reasonable time frame. PC Chacko, party MP from Kerala, is likely to head the committee.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will make a statement on the government's readiness to constitute the JPC before the start of discussion on the motion of thanks to the President's address on Tuesday.

The PM's announcement will pave the way for smooth functioning of Parliament and restore order after the opposition blanked out the winter session.

On Thursday, telecom minister Kapil Sibal will move the motion on JPC, drawing curtains on the deadlock between government and opposition over the contentious issue of parliamentary probe.

The motion on JPC will be accompanied by a six-hour debate on the 2G scam. Congress hopes the debate will give the Centre an opportunity to put forth its version of events leading to the spectrum scam to neutralise the charges levelled by the opposition.

Congress wants that despite aberrations, the Centre should be able to project the strong action it has taken against the culprits to score political points over the opposition. It is also keen to rebuff the charge that PMO nodded to the spectrum allocation process. Else, Congress feels, the UPA brass will continue to be under the shadow of the opposition's allegations.

PC Chacko is among the frontrunners to chair JPC. If he gets the nod ahead of other names, Congress would be handing over the chairmanship of the crucial panel to a leader whom it has often entrusted with taking on the opposition.

The government push for a 21-member JPC is aimed to give it a focussed look which will help it wind up its work early. The opposition is insisting on a larger panel since it will bring more parties into play and make it tougher for the ruling dispensation. A senior minister, however, said the government would go for a 21-member panel which would have 14 from Lok Sabha and seven from the Upper House.

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Tackling corruption, inflation priority: President Patil

NEW DELHI, Feb 21 (IANS) Combating inflation and tackling corruption would be among the top priorities of the government, President Pratibha Patil said inaugurating the Budget session of Parliament Monday.

"My government's foremost priority will be to address frontally the concern regarding the lack of probity and integrity in public life," Patil said in her 45-minute address to the joint sitting of both houses in the packed Central Hall of Parliament.

The government's another priority will be to "combat inflation and, in particular, to protect the common man from the impact of rising food prices," she added.

She said the government will "sustain the momentum of economic growth, while ensuring that the poor, weak and the disadvantaged get a fair share in the fruits of growth. The government, as a priority, will "pursue a foreign policy which will ensure that our voice is heard and our interests are protected in the global fora," she added.

Asserting that the government stands committed to "improving the quality of governance and enhancing transparency, probity and integrity in public life," she said the group of ministers (GOM) looking into the issue is expected to submit its report soon.

The GoM will consider all measures, including "legislative and administrative, to tackle corruption and improve transparency", she said.

The President gave an indication that the discretionary powers of ministers may be scrapped.

The GoM will review the "abolition of discretionary powers enjoyed by ministers, introduction of an open and competitive system of exploiting natural resources and fast tracking cases against public servants charged with corruption," she said.

Formulation of a public procurement policy and enunciation of public procurement standards will also be considered by the GoM, the President said.

"We have gone through a difficult year for our country," Patil said.

"Certain parts of the country have suffered from unacceptably high levels of violence, especially areas affected by Left-wing extremism and the Kashmir Valley," she said.

The President was referring to the summer of unrest and protests in Kashmir which claimed over 100 lives last year, as well as the continuing problem of Maoist violence in various parts of the country.

"There has been a grievance in some quarters that the benefits intended for the poor through anti-poverty programmes have not reached them in full measure," she said.

The President said the "Commonwealth Games in October were a great success".

Patil offered her sympathies to the people of Ladakh where a cloudburst had killed nearly 200 people last August.

"Our heart goes out to the people of Ladakh, who suffered the consequences of a severe cloudburst, leading to an unprecedented loss of life and property," she said.

The Budget session will continue till April 21, with an 18-day recess from March 17 to April 3. The first part of the session will have 17 sittings while the second part will have 12 sittings.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Rajya Sabha Chirman Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leader LK Advani were among those present during the address, which passed off without interruptions.

Sensex up sharply by 227 points; IT led the rally

MUMBAI: Fag-end buying on Monday pushed up the BSE benchmark Sensex sharply by 227 points to close at 18,438.31, as investors bought strong stocks at cheaper levels led by IT sector, amid funds buying to cover their pending positions ahead of settlement in the derivatives sector.

The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex, which touched the day's low of 18,082.66, bounced back sharply in last 30 minutes of trading to close higher by 226.79 points at 18,438.31.

The broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty, after falling to 5,413.10 points, closed at 5,518.60 with a handsome gain of 59.65 points.

Brokers said trading sentiment was bolstered after Credit Suisse Group upgraded Wipro and State Bank of India reportedly saying that net interest margins may rise.

Wipro, India's third-largest software services provider, surged the most since November 22 by rising 4.12 per cent to Rs 450.25 after Credit Suisse raised it rating to "outperform" from "neutral".

Overall, IT stocks move up on a rebound in the European region, a major centre for technology business.

Major market players were buying stocks to wind up their pending long positions ahead of the expiry of current month settlement in the derivatives segment on Thursday.

The most-heaviest Reliance Industries rose by 2.04 per cent to Rs 956.50 and second heavy Infosys Technologies by 2.09 per cent to Rs 3,161.20. The two carry nearly 23 per cent weightage on the index.

In the 30-BSE index components, 20 stocks closed with gains and barring auto, all the sectoral indices remained higher.

The upsurge was partly checked by auto stocks as, led by Tata Motors, they fell on fears that hike in interest rates might hamper the sales. The auto sector index fell by 1.18 per cent to 8,614.90.

Tata Motors, owner of Jaguar Land Rover, slid 3.33 per cent to Rs 1,161.95. Hero Honda Motors, the biggest motorcycle maker, dropped 1.66 per cent to Rs 1,439.35. Maruti Suzuki fell by 1.31 per cent to Rs 1,212.65.

As the bargain buying prevailed on the market, investors pulled out funds from low value stocks to front runners. As a result, smallcap index fell by 0.09 per cent to 8,121.26 and midcap index by 0.04 per cent to 6,659.18.

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Indian economy to grow by 8.6% in 2010-11

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister's economic advisory council on Monday projected the economic growth in the country at 8.6 per cent for the current fiscal on the back of rebound in farm output and inflation to come down to 7 per cent by March-end due to declining food prices.

The PMEAC, in its 'Review of the Economy 2010-11' report released on Monday, also said the country's GDP is likely to grow by 9 per cent in 2011-12, back to the high rate it had witnessed before onset of the global economic recession.

PMEAC's projection of 8.6 per cent growth is in line with government estimates released earlier this month.

According to PMEAC, the agriculture sector is expected to grow at 5.4 per cent this fiscal.

This is higher than the 0.4 per cent rate of growth registered by the farm sector in 2009-10.

"Agriculture will do very well this year. We might have record harvest of wheat," PMEAC chairman C Rangarajan said here.

The council also said the services and industry sectors would maintain the high growth rate of last few years.

While services is expected to register a growth rate of 9.6 per cent, industry is projected to grow by 8.1 per cent.

During the last fiscal, services sector had witnessed a growth of 9.1 per cent, while manufacturing had grown by 8.8 per cent.

The PMEAC further said the overall inflation is expected to be at 7 per cent by March-end and that the rate of price rise in the case of manufactured goods has been low.

"The declining trend in food prices, particularly that of the vegetables, will result in lower food inflation... considerable care from the policy side has to be taken to ensure that the manufactured goods inflation remains below 5 per cent in 2011-12," it said.

The overall inflation for January has been at 8.23 per cent, while food inflation was at 11.05 per cent in the first week of February.

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BP and Reliance in $7.2bn oil and gas alliance

LONDON: BP has entered into a "transformational" oil and gas partnership with Reliance Industries, which involves the British oil major paying $7.2 billion to the Indian company.

Under the terms of the deal, BP will take a 30 percent stake in 23 oil and gas blocks and form a 50:50 joint venture between the two companies for the sourcing and marketing of gas, the companies said in a statement on Monday.

BP will pay Reliance Industries an aggregate consideration of $7.2 billion and future performance payments of up to $1.8 billion could be paid.

The companies said these payments and the combined investment could amount to $20 billion in total.

BP's shares were up 0.3 percent at 494.4 pence at 1108 GMT. Reliance Industries shares were up 2 percent.

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Bombay High Court upholds death sentence for Kasab

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Bombay High Court on Monday upheld the death sentence for the only surviving gunman in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people and strained ties between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani national, was one of ten gunmen who carried out the coordinated attacks on key landmarks in India's financial capital, including two luxury hotels, the main train station and a Jewish centre.

In May, Kasab was found guilty of more than 80 charges, including murder and waging war on India, and was sentenced to death by hanging by an Indian court but that sentence needed approval from the High Court.

"The High Court confirmed the lower court's decision to sentence Kasab to death by hanging," public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said on live television on Monday.

Earlier this month, India and Pakistan agreed to resume formal peace talks after New Delhi broke off negotiations between the two nuclear-armed nations following the Mumbai attacks.

India had paused the talks, saying Islamabad must first act against groups operating from its soil, including Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, or LeT, said to be behind the attacks and of which Kasab was convicted of being a member.

Pakistan has acknowledged the attacks were plotted and partly launched from its soil, and has put on trial seven suspects linked to LeT, which has been fighting Indian forces in disputed Kashmir since the early 1990s.

Kasab was filmed walking through Mumbai's main train station carrying an AK-47 rifle and a knapsack on his back. Nearly 60 people were gunned down in the crowded station.

Twenty Pakistani co-conspirators, including LeT founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, were also found guilty. A spokesman for LeT has denied the leader or the organisation was involved.

Islamist groups like LeT see India and the United States as foes against whom they must wage holy war. They also support independence for Kashmir, the Himalayan region claimed in full but controlled in part by both India and Pakistan.

The two countries have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two over Kashmir.

India''s forex reserves dip USD 752 mn to USD 298.66 bn

Mumbai, Feb 18 (PTI) India''s foreign exchange reserves declined by USD 752-million to USD 298.663-billion for the week ending February 11, the Reserve Bank said today.

India''s total foreign exchange reserves had stood at USD 299.415-billion the previous week.

Foreign currency assets, the biggest component of the foreign reserves were down USD 707 million, RBI said in its weekly data released this evening.

Foreign currency assets expressed in US dollar terms include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of the non-US currencies, such as the euro, pound and yen, held in the reserves, the apex bank said.

The value of the country''s gold reserves remained unchanged at USD 21.92-billion.

Both the special drawing rights (SDRs) and reserve position in the IMF also declined during the reporting week.

The SDRs were down USD 31 million to USD 5.124 billion while India''s reserve position in the IMF declined USD 14 million to USD 2.247 billion.

Kasab verdict enhances Indian legal system''s prestige: HM

New Delhi, Feb 21 (PTI) Welcoming the confirmation of death penalty of 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab by the Bombay High Court, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said it has enhanced the prestige of India''s legal system but rued the lack of progress in the case in Pakistan.

"I compliment the prosecution. This is a tribute to our legal system," he told reporters while commenting on the Bombay High Court''s decision.

He said the manner in which the case was conducted in India has "raised the prestige" of the country''s judicial system.

"I think, we should allow our legal system to deal with case in the manner every other cases dealt with," the Home Minister said.

At the same time, he observed that the trial in the case was making no headway in Pakistan.

"Between the High Court and the trial court in Pakistan, in a way there has been no movement at all (on 26/11 case)," he said when asked whether, in the light of the judgement, India would call for a speedy hearing of the case in Pakistan.

He noted that when the case came up a couple of days ago in Pakistan, the prosecution had asked for an adjournment on the ground that the matter was pending in the High Court.

"But in the High Court, the judge, who was dealing with the case had retired," he noted.

Law Minister Veerappa Moily also welcomed the judgement and said the Indian judicial system is fair and equal to everybody and the same is demonstrated by the Bombay High Court in upholding the death sentence of Kasab.

"The entire world knows how our judicial system works... very methodical, very systematic....it reflects well of our judiciary," he said.

Terming the judgement as "well carved out", he said the justice delivery system has dealt with the subject in a fair and equal manner.

"It is fair to everybody..equal to everybody and that is what is demonstrated by this judgement on Kasab," the Law Minister said outside Parliament House.

Banks tap 2-month funds at 10%

NEW DELHI: In what may set the stage for further increase in lending and deposit rates, banks are accessing two-month funds though certificates of deposit by paying almost 10%. Some banks like ING Vysya Bank have paid over 10% to raise a slightly higher amount for a little more than three months.

While bankers are unwilling to admit publicly, following the increase in deposit rates since mid-December, the flow of funds is not as high as they had anticipated. This has prompted them to raise more resources from the market by issuing instruments such as certificates of deposit (CDs), which are short-term papers subscribed to by other banks and mutual funds.

"What we have seen is that depositors are renewing their deposits and opting for maturity baskets that earn them the maximum interest rate," said an SBI executive. As a result, many depositors have moved from a one-or-two-year fixed deposit to, say, SBI's 555-day deposit that is earning 9.25% (and 9.75% if you are a senior citizen). So unlike the post-credit crisis days in 2008 when the 1,000-day blockbuster helped the bank rake in Rs 1,000 crore a day by way of deposits, the special tenures this time are fetching Rs 200-300 crore a day.

Union Bank of India CMD M V Nair said of the Rs 10,000 crore mobilized by the bank over the last two-and-a-half months, around 25% has been reinvested in special buckets such as those that mature in 500 or 700 days. RBI data showed that for the year up to January 14, 2011, bank deposits grew 16% though during the last fortnight banks mopped up over Rs 37,000 crore, the highest fortnightly mobilization since November. With banks unable to step up deposit mobilization at the same pace as credit flow several are in a situation where they are lending more than Rs 100 for every Rs 100 raised by way of deposits. As a result, bankers are raising every paisa they can even if it means paying a higher cost.

"This year-end phenomenon (of spike in rates) has been accentuated by 3G-related borrowings, tight policy conditions and slower pace of government spending," said a bank chairman who does not wish to be named. The SBI executive said credit demand apart, the high commitments some of the public sector bank chiefs have made under the annual statement of intent is adding to the pressure. Nair and Punjab National Bank CMD K R Kamath said the tight conditions were expected to continue at least till March-end. "If liquidity does not improve, banks will then have no option but to hike rates," said UCO Bank chairman Arun Kaul. Since July, when base rate was introduced as the new benchmark, banks have raised it by around 150 basis points and the consensus is that more is in store.

TOI

Rupee up 12 paise against dollar

MUMBAI: The rupee was up by 12 paise at 45.08 per US dollar in early trade today on sustained dollar-selling by exporters and corporates amid weakness of the American currency overseas.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange, the domestic unit opened slightly higher at 45.19/20 per dollar as against last Friday's close of 45.20/21 per dollar. It moved up further to 45.08 per dollar before quoting at 45.10/11 per dollar at 1030 hours.

The rupee moved in a range between 45.08 and 45.21 per dollar in morning deals.

Sustained selling of dollars by exporters and some banks and a better opening in the stock market kept the rupee sentiment firm, a forex dealer said.

The Indian benchmark Sensex was trading higher by 25.64 points, or 0.14 per cent, in early trade today.

Meanwhile, oil prices were up in Asia today, with New York contract light sweet crude for March delivery gaining $1.13 to $87.33 a barrel.

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Sensex gains 95 points

MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark Sensex rose by over 95 points in opening trade today after witnessing a sharp fall in the previous session on the back of selective buying by funds and retail investors, ignoring a weak trend on other Asian bourses.

The Sensex, which had lost 295.30 points in the previous session on Friday, rose by 95.23 points, or 0.52 per cent, to 18,306.75 today, with capital goods, IT and oil and gas stocks leading the recovery.

Similarly, the broad-based National Stock Exchange Nifty index moved up by 24.60 points, or 0.45 per cent, to 5,483.55 points.

Marketmen said the emergence of buying at select counters and covering-up of pending short positions by speculators ahead of monthly expiry in the derivatives segment on Thursday mainly influenced the trading sentiment.

They said, however, the ongoing probe into the 2G spectrum scam and a weak trend on other Asian bourses capped the gains.

In the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down by 0.56 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei shed 0.20 per cent in early trade today.


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MCI puts curbs on visits by foreign doctors

CHENNAI: No foreign national or NRI medical professional will henceforth be permitted to demonstrate procedures/ surgeries in India without prior permission from the Medical Council of India. A warning to this effect has been circulated by MCI to all medical colleges/institutions, state medical councils, all medical associations and hospitals.

Clarifying that prior MCI permission/registration was mandatory, the February 11, 2011 circular, signed by MCI's additional secretary P Prasanna Raj, said suo motu action would be initiated by the MCI against erring medical colleges/institutions.

Aimed at verifying the credentials of foreign/NRI medical professionals participating in continuing medical education (CME) programmes or workshops or post-graduate courses in India, the circular said: ''This is to inform you that all foreign nationals/NRI faculty will have to take prior permission from the MCI in the prescribed form no. MCI-07 available on the website, if he/she demonstrates/conducts any procedure, intervention, surgery, drug therapy, application of any new device or any treatment, on a patient in any CME programmes/workshop/PG course or any other programme, conducted by medical college/ hospitals/ medical association or any other organisation in India.''

The announcement has evoked mixed reactions from the medical fraternity across the country. While some leading doctors agreed on the need to screen the bonafides of visiting medics, many felt that the proposal would needlessly hamper flow of knowhow and research findings into India.

Dr T D Naidu, president of the All India Medical Association and chairman, Chennai-based DD Medical Hospital and DD Hospital, welcomed the proposal and said verification of the bonafide of the foreign medical professionals by MCI would enhance credibility of the profession. ''Some medical institutions flaunt foreign faculty without conducting due diligence on the professional's standing and record in his home country," Naidu said.

He also called upon MCI to step in and play an active role in whetting the memorandum of understanding being signed by Indian medical institutions with foreign entities. "A representative of the MCI shall be part of the expert team finalizing the fine print of such MoU," he said.

While agreeing that prior permission was a must for performing surgeries or live demos on Indian patients, doctors and institute heads said the MCI circular was too restrictive. "What is wrong with foreign nationals or NRIs coming to give lectures or share valuable knowledge about the latest developments in medical field?" said founder-chairman of Frontier Lifeline hospitals, Dr K M Cherian.

"Nothing original in the field of medicine has come out of India. We depend solely on studies by our peers in other countries," he added.

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President inaugurates Budget session of Parliament

NEW DELHI: Inaugurating the budget session of parliament, President Pratibha Patil Monday admitted India has gone through a "difficult year", plagued by inflation and violence in certain areas.

"We have gone through a difficult year for our country," Patil said in her joint address to both houses of parliament.

"Certain parts of the country have suffered from unacceptably high levels of violence, especially areas affected by leftwing extremism and the Kashmir valley," she said.

The president was referring to the summer of protests in Kashmir, as well as the continuing problem of Maoist violence in various parts of the country.

"There has been a grievance in some quarters that the benefits intended for the poor through anti-poverty programmes have not reached them in full measure," she said.

Patil offered her sympathies to the people of Ladakh where a cloudburst had killed nearly 200 people last August.

"Our heart goes out to the people of Ladakh, who suffered the consequences of a severe cloudburst, leading to an unprecedented loss of life and property," she said.

She also condoled the death of classical music legend Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

The budget session will continue till April 21, with an 18-day recess from March 17 to April 3. The first part of the session will have 17 sittings while the second part will have 12 sittings.

TOI

26/11: HC upholds death sentence for Kasab

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court today upheld the death sentence to Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks that left 166 people dead. ( Read Bombay HC's judgment )

A division bench of the court comprising justices Ranjana Desai and R V More also dismissed the Maharashtra government's petition against acquittal of two Indians, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, accused of aiding the commission of the crime.

Kasab, 24, the only one of the 10 perpetrators of the attack to be captured alive, was sentenced to death by a special anti-terror court on May 6 last year.

Ansari and Ahmed had been, however, let off for want of adequate evidence by the trial court.

Kasab appeared briefly in the court through a video link wearing a white kurta with his head down.

Kasab and his accomplices had landed at Budhwar Park in south Mumbai on November 26, 2008 night from Karachi by sea and went on a shooting spree at various city landmarks including CST railway terminus, iconic Taj Mahal and Oberoi Hotels, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital and Nariman House, a Jewish outreach centre, leaving 166 dead and many more wounded.

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