Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving terrorist from the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was hanged to death on Wednesday at Yerwada Jail in Pune. Kasab was executed at 7:30am at Yerwada jail in Pune in Maharashtra after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy plea earlier this
month.Pakistan had been informed about the hanging of Kasab, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said on Wednesday.
He told reporters that President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected Kasab's mercy petition.
"Pakistan has been informed but there is no demand for Kasab's body. The president rejected Kasab's mercy petition Nov 5. I had further forwarded it to the Maharashtra government Nov 8," Shinde told mediapersons.
Maharashtra home minister RR Patil on Wednesday termed it as 'a tribute to people killed in the attacks and a message that India will not tolerate terrorism'.
"He was hanged at 7:30am this (Wednesday) morning," RR Patil told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.
"The mercy petition of Kasab was rejected by the President, which we received on November 8 after which we have executed him," he said.
Patil added that this is a tribute to the 166 people and policemen who lost their lives in the terror attacks 4 years ago.
Kasab's end came just five days before the fourth anniversary of the brutal terror attacks. The Nov 26-29, 2008 terror siege had claimed 166 lives.
According to sources in the home department, Kasab said that he had no last wish before he was executed.
Kasab was reportedly moved to the Yerawada jail in a secret operation few days ago. His body will not be sent to Pakistan for burial as they had not accepted him as as their citizen, sources added. The Maharashtra home department is completing their paper work on the same and will be announcing his burial details.
Advocate Ujwal Nikam who was the public prosecutor in this case expressed happiness over the move." We have exposed the modus operandi of terror groups operating from Pakistan and sent a message that terrorism will not be tolerated, " Nikam said.
"Yes, Kasab has been hanged this (Wednesday) morning at 7.30 a.m. in Yerawada Central Jail," special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who led the 26/11 terror attacks case, said.
Kasab buried inside Pune jail
Kasab was buried inside the premises of Pune's Yerawada Central jail shortly after he was hanged, Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said on Wednesday.
Chavan said Kasab had been shifted from Mumbai to Pune two days ago.
Kasab did not leave behind any will, the chief minister told journalists, adding that he had been buried in the jail premises on the outskirts of Pune.
'Kasab hanging better late than never'
The hanging of Kasab was a case of "better late than never", the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Wednesday after the 26/11 Pakistani terrorist was executed in Pune's Yerawada jail.
"It took us four years to finally hang him. Better late than never," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told mediapersons in New Delhi.
Asking the government to "expedite the whole process of mercy petitions", Prasad also demanded action against Afzal Guru, who masterminded the attack on parliament in December 2001.
"All the handlers, conspirators of the Mumbai attack still remain at large in Pakistan," Prasad said further.
BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi termed the hanging as "a stern warning to the enemies of India especially those across the border who want to terrorise India".
President rejected mercy plea
President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected the mercy plea of Kasab a few weeks ago, said an official.
"The President had rejected the mercy petition of Kasab a few weeks back. I can't give you the exact date," Venu Rajamony, the president's press secretary, said.
Kasab's mercy petition to President Pranab Mukherjee was the terrorist's last hope.
The move is a strong political message sent by the government before the start of Parliament session and ahead of the Gujarat elections.
The decision came two months after the home ministry rejected Kasab's mercy petition addressed to the President.
Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde's recommendation to the President was in line with the recommendation of Maharashtra governor K Sankaranarayan and the no-mercy-for-terrorists principle laid down by his predecessor P Chidambaram.
Ajmal Kasab and nine fellow Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists had sailed into Mumbai on November 26, 2008 from Karachi and gone on a shooting spree that killed 166 people. Kasab was the only one captured alive by security forces.
Kasab was sentenced to death in May 2010 after he was found guilty of a string of charges, including waging war against India, murder and terrorist acts.
He appealed in the Supreme Court claiming he did not receive a fair trial but his petition was struck down in August.
During the 2008 attacks, the heavily armed terrorists stormed targets in Mumbai including luxury hotels, a Jewish centre, a hospital and a bustling train station.
India blames the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant organisation for training, equipping and financing the gunmen with support from "elements" in the Pakistan military.
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