Is Mumbai Gunman Lying?

By COLlive and newswires

The sole surviving suspect in Mumbai’s terror attacks told his trial Monday that he was not aware of the siege on the Chabad House in the Indian city.

“I also do not know the people who fired and exploded bombs at these places on November 26, 2008,” Pakistani gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab said.

His statement was in reply to questions put to him by Judge Tahiliyani on evidence brought by the prosecution against him, PTI News reported.

Kasab said he did not know that more people had been killed in firing and in bomb blasts at Hotel Taj, Oberoi and Nariman House (Chabad).

The gunman also denied knowledge that foreign nationals including those from Japan, USA, France, Italy and Israel had been killed in the terror attacks.

But public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told CNN: “He’s lying again. We have rock-solid evidence in the case. His lies will have no impact.”

Last month, Kasab recanted his confession, saying he admitted to playing a role in the assault because he was pressured by police.

He, however, has not denied his Pakistani nationality.

Indian authorities say Kasab was part of a 10-member, all-Pakistani terror squad that struck the country’s financial capital in November, 2008.

More than 160 people were killed in the deadly event that derailed the fragile peace process between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

The prosecution has examined 610 witnesses.

Indian officials have said Kasab was trained by Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a militant group that was banned in Pakistan in 2002 after an attack on India’s parliament. The group denied responsibility.

Kasab, who was photographed holding an assault weapon during the attacks, has changed his stance several times.