24 April,2009 02:08 PM IST | | PTI
A special court on Friday ordered an inquiry to determine whether the prime accused in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab is a juvenile.
Judge M L Tahiliyani allowed special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam to examine witnesses comprising doctors and jailor on April 28 to find out whether Qasab was above 18 and not juvenile at the time of commisson of offence.
The court also ordered jail authorities to take Qasab for ossification test and dental test to determine his age. The radiologist and dentist who will conduct the test have been asked to submit a report on or before April 28.
Qasab will be taken for these tests under heavy security, his lawyer Abbas Kazmi told reporters. If the inquiry establishes that Qasab is juvenile, then the case will be transfered to the juvenile court.
The maximum punishment prescribed under Juvenile Justice Act is maximum three years, Kazmi said. The court ordered the inquiry after the prosecutor Nikam moved an application urging that the age of the accused may be determined before the charges are framed against him.
Earlier, Qasab had himself pleaded that he was juvenile and that the case should be transfered to Juvenile Justice Court but the court had turned down his plea and opined that he did not appear to be juvenile and if the court feels that anytime during trial that the inquiry should be held to determine his age it would do so.
