Mumbai cops to move court on burial of 26/11 attackers

The Mumbai Police will approach a special court to seek permission for burial of the nine Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist killed in the 26/11 terror attacks here.

The police have preserved the bodies of terrorists for over three months, after they were killed in a 60-hour long encounter that ended on November 29, in the mortuary of the state-run JJ Hospital in south Mumbai.
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"The bodies had to be kept preserved till now as we were waiting for someone to claim them. However, since there are no claimants, we would approach the special court once the trial in the case begins and seek permission to dispose it off," Mumbai police commissioner Hasan Gafoor said.
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Gafoor said that the prosecution would approach the special court set up to conduct the 26/11 trial and would seek an order to dispose the bodies.

He, however, refused to divulge details as to where the bodies would be buried and said all procedures laid in the law will be followed.
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Muslim bodies here had earlier refused to part with space in any graveyard for the burial of these terrorists.

The Lashker militants whose bodies have been preserved in the mortuary are Ismail Khan alias Abu Ismail from Dera Ismail Khan (killed at Cama Hospital), Hafeez Arshad alias Bada Abdul Rehman from Multan, Javed alias Abu Ali from Ukara, Shoaib alias Soheb from Sialkot and Nazeer alias Abu Umer from Faisalabad (killed at Taj Hotel), Nasir alias Abu Umar from Faisalabad and Babar Imran alias Abu Akasha from Multan (killed at Nariman House).

Abdul Rehman alias Abdul Rehman Chhota from Multan and Fahadullah alias Abu Fahad from Okara were killed at Trident Oberoi hotel.

The trial in the case is likely to begin on March 23 after a metropolitan magistrate committed the case to the sessions court, which will be presided by judge ML Tahilyani.

The Mumbai crime branch had on February 25 filed a 11,000-page chargesheet against 38 accused in the terror attack last year. The three arrested accused are lone terrorist caught alive Mohammad Ajmal Amir Iman, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin.

The chargesheet has accused 35 Pakistani nationals and alleged operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) who are absconding. Those wanted include Zaki-ur-Rehman Laqvi, Yousif Muzammil, Abu Kafa, Abu Ramza and Zarar Shah and names of two suspected Pakistan Army men- major general Saab and colonel R Saadat Ullah.