The sole surviving gunman who attacked the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) in 2008 should be hanged, prosecutors say."It would be a mockery of justice if the death penalty is not imposed," chief prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, a Pakistani aged 22, was found guilty on Monday of charges including murder, waging war on India and possessing explosives.The attacks left 174 people - including nine other gunmen - dead and soured relations between India and Pakistan.India blames Pakistan-based militants Lashkar-e-Taiba for the attacks.
After initial denials, Pakistan acknowledged that the attacks had been partially planned on its territory and that Qasab was one of its citizens.'Indian justice'On Tuesday Mr Nikkam, the public prosecutor, spent more than two hours arguing that Qasab should be given the death penalty, the BBC's Prachi Pinglay in court in Mumbai says. "He is an agent of the devil himself, a disgrace to society and the entire human race," Mr Nikkam said, the AFP news agency reports.He described Qasab as a "killing machine who has no human feeling" and said a life sentence would leave India "a soft target" for extremists.He said Qasab's crimes involved "focused, meticulous and detailed" planning to kill police officers and civilians.India's media hailed Monday's verdict as "honourable", and said the acquittal of two Indians accused of helping the gunmen proved police had made a "poor case" of it.The Hindu newspaper said that the judgement would "not grant closure" to survivors and families of victims of the attacks."This is because key conspirators, helped by a half-hearted investigation in Pakistan, are yet to face a court of law," the newspaper said.The paper said the verdict was a "tribute to the independence of the Indian judicial system and its ability to deliver justice dispassionately".According to the Times of India said that the verdict was "unlikely to be the end of the matter".The newspaper said prosecutors planned to challenge the acquittals and that Qasab's lawyer could also contest his client's conviction.Proceedings in the Mumbai trial have gone on for 14 months.Late last year, Pakistan charged seven people in connection with the attacks, including the suspected mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who is alleged to head Lashkar-e-Taiba.
After initial denials, Pakistan acknowledged that the attacks had been partially planned on its territory and that Qasab was one of its citizens.'Indian justice'On Tuesday Mr Nikkam, the public prosecutor, spent more than two hours arguing that Qasab should be given the death penalty, the BBC's Prachi Pinglay in court in Mumbai says. "He is an agent of the devil himself, a disgrace to society and the entire human race," Mr Nikkam said, the AFP news agency reports.He described Qasab as a "killing machine who has no human feeling" and said a life sentence would leave India "a soft target" for extremists.He said Qasab's crimes involved "focused, meticulous and detailed" planning to kill police officers and civilians.India's media hailed Monday's verdict as "honourable", and said the acquittal of two Indians accused of helping the gunmen proved police had made a "poor case" of it.The Hindu newspaper said that the judgement would "not grant closure" to survivors and families of victims of the attacks."This is because key conspirators, helped by a half-hearted investigation in Pakistan, are yet to face a court of law," the newspaper said.The paper said the verdict was a "tribute to the independence of the Indian judicial system and its ability to deliver justice dispassionately".According to the Times of India said that the verdict was "unlikely to be the end of the matter".The newspaper said prosecutors planned to challenge the acquittals and that Qasab's lawyer could also contest his client's conviction.Proceedings in the Mumbai trial have gone on for 14 months.Late last year, Pakistan charged seven people in connection with the attacks, including the suspected mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who is alleged to head Lashkar-e-Taiba.
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