To make 26/11 charge sheet foolproof, witnesses identified bodies of nine terrorists
To make 26/11 charge sheet foolproof, witnesses identifiedu00a0 bodies of nine terroristsu00a0
For the first time in India, bodies were used in an identification parade by the police to build a case. Witnesses to the 26/11 attacks were taken to the mortuary to identify the bodies of the nine terrorists. And identify they did.
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The eyewitnesses include the staff of the Trident, Oberoi and Taj hotels, hostages, and those who saw the terrorists at Budhwar Park, CST station, on the roads, at Girgaum Chowpatty, etc. This identification was conducted over two days.
Thirty eyewitnesses identified Qasab over a period of three days. All this has been mentioned in the charge sheet filed in the court yesterday.
Important role
According to Rakesh Maria, joint commissioner of police, (crime), "The identification of the bodies plays an important role. It proves that it was these terrorists who had attacked. Their DNA samples have matched with the articles seized from the Kuber that they used to reach from Gujarat."
The DNA samples of five dead terrorists Abu Ismail, Javed alias Abu Ali, Abdul Rehman Chhotta, Nazir alias Abu Umar and Hafiz Arshad have matched with the articles that include jackets, handkerchiefs, skull caps, blankets, etc. Some fingerprints have also matched.
35 based in Pak
Thirty-five of the 47 accused named in the 11,280-page charge sheet are based in Pakistan. So far, the Mumbai police have only arrested Mohammad Ajmal Qasab, Fahim Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed. JCP (Crime) Rakesh Maria said the charge sheet has no mention of ISI since its role has not come to the fore as yet. u00e2u0080u0094 J Dey