The Verdict

The terror attack on Mumbai had prompted me to write actively and hooked me to making posts on this blog.

Read the previous posts “Mumbai Trembles – Life Under Siege”, “While the Flame is Alive” & “365 Days Later”.

There were moving articles in leading dailies narrating and re-narrating the accounts of the horrors of the terror attack and families of victims demanding justice relentlessly.

After over an year of the courtroom drama, the trial concluded on March 31, 2010 and on May 3 the verdict was pronounced – Ajmal Kasab was found guilty of murder, conspiracy, and of waging war against India. On May 6, he was sentenced to death by hanging. Ujjwal Nikam, who was the public prosecutor on this case was evidently happy and so were the families and kin of the victims.

A victory on legal grounds but all is not over yet. Apparently there is a dearth of hangmen in the country and with the legal system providing various courses of mercy appeals, chances are that it might still be some time before Kasab breaks his neck on the scaffold.

The following things come to my mind:

• What are the chances that such acts of terror will not be repeated?
• Kasab is a small fry in the entire scheme of things and the Pakistani plot. Was giving him a fair trial which lasted over an year not a waste of tax payer’s money?
• His impending execution adds to the security woes and deployment of extra forces to just guard him. Why not put this on a speed request and execute him at the earliest?
• There are not enough hangmen in the country to execute Kasab. Why not shoot him in full public eye?

And finally, am I happy at the verdict?  - YESSSSS.

However, personally I think putting him into the waiting list to be hanged is absolutely stupid. I want him dead this minute and am willing to act as the hangman too, if possible. Maybe I should run a poll on one of the sites and see how many people actually come forward to the Question Would you volunteer to hang Kasab? Well, I do.

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PS: This is a later addition. Click HERE to enter the poll – Would you volunteer to hang Ajmal Kasab?