Mumbai: Advocate K P Pawar, appointed to
defend Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab in the 26/11 terror attack
case, today declined to cross-examine 22 witnesses, including
three policemen, who were part of the anti-terror operation at
the Cama hospital.
Out of the 26 witnesses, Pawar examined only four
witnesses and declined to cross-examine others, including
Sachin Tilekar, Mohan Shinde and Vijay Pawar who were part of
the team, led by Additional Police Commissioner Sadanand Date,
which was involved in a gun battle with Kasab and slain
terrorist Abu Ismail on the the sixth floor of the Cama
hospital.
The prosecution had last week submitted the affidavits of
340 witnesses as they were formal in nature and the defence
had picked 91 witnesses for cross-examination.
After examining 22 witnesses yesterday, Pawar told the
court that he does not want to cross-examine the remaining
witnesses.
Judge M L Tahilyani, however, said the witnesses would be
summoned to court and Pawar could decline to examine them
then.
The witnesses examined by Pawar today included three
injured persons and one inquest panch witness.
The inquest witness, Shamsuddin Sayed had conducted the
panchnama of the body of ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who was
shot dead outside the hospital.
PTI
