Kasab, who has been lodged at Arthur Road prison here ever since his arrest soon after the Mumbai terror attack, was whisked out of his heavily-guarded cell in the intervening night of November 18 and 19, a senior police official said.
The news scroll board of All India Radio displays the news of Ajmal Kasab's hanging on Wednesday morning.
People react to the news of Ajmal Amir Kasab's hanging outside Yerawada prison in Pune on Wednesday
"Kasab was escorted by senior officials of crime branch, commandos of Quick Response Team (QRT) and ITBP officials, who have been guarding the terrorist since his arrest in November 2008. The team, along with Kasab reached Pune's Yerwada jail in the wee hours of November 19," the official said.
According to the officer, except the Jail Superintendent, Deputy Jailor and doctor, no jail authority was informed about the identity of the accused.
"The jail authorities were only told that a high-profile accused is being brought to Yerwada. His identity was not revealed. Kasab was lodged in an isolated egg-shaped cell guarded by ITBP personnel," the official said.
Even the hangman was not informed about the identity of the accused till the last minute. "We had told the hangman that he is to execute the death penalty of a terrorist.
The identity was revealed to him only few minutes before the execution," the official said.
Kasab was confined to a special-made bullet and bomb-proof cell at Arthur Road Central prison ever since his arrest in November 2008. However, he was executed in Yerwada prison as facilities to hang exist in that prison only, he said.
Before the execution, as per the norms, Kasab was asked if he had any final wishes, to which the terrorist replied in the negative.
Soon after he was hanged, the doctor, who was present in the room, confirmed Kasab's death and informed the government authorities.
According to authorities, Kasab's body has been buried inside Yerwada jail itself.
Earlier:
Kasab hanged and buried inside Pune jail; survivors happy
Mangalore, November 21: Just five days before the fourth anniversary of the brutal terror attacks, Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist of the Nov 26-29 2008 terror siege, was hanged at Pune's Yerawada Jail on Wednesday morning.
Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani gunman caught alive after the Mumbai terror attack, was hanged to death at the Yerawada central prison in Pune in a top-secret operation this morning, less than a week before the fourth anniversary of the carnage.
25-year-old Kasab was hanged at 7.30 am, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil said in Mumbai shortly after the hanging. He was buried inside the premises of Pune's Yerawada Central Jail shortly after he was hanged, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said.
Pakistan government was kept informed about the execution.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said Kasab was buried inside the Yerawada jail premises.
Kasab did not have any last wish or a will, Mr Chavan told reporters in Mumbai.
The execution in the Mumbai attack trial brought relief to many people affected by the audacious strike by 10 terrorists of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in which 166 people were killed. Nine LeT men were killed during the 60-hour siege which began on the night of November 26, 2008.
Kasab was executed after he exhausted all legal remedies available to escape the noose with President Pranab Mukherjee rejecting his mercy plea on November 5.
Kasab, who has been lodged at the Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai ever since his arrest soon after the terror attack, was whisked out of his heavily-guarded cell in the intervening night of November 18 and 19, a senior police official said. The team, along with Kasab, reached Pune's Yerawada jail in the wee hours of November 19.
“The President rejected the mercy petition on November 5. I signed it on November 7 and on November 8, the Maharashtra government had been communicated to take action. It was decided that he would be executed on November 21 at 7.30 AM. and accordingly the whole process has been completed today,” Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said, adding secrecy about the hanging was a key.
Letter faxed to Pakistan
While stating that Pakistan was informed about the execution of Ajmal Kasab, the Home Minister said, with this (execution) the judicial procedure of 26/11 case has been completed.
"Indian mission in Islamabad informed the Pakistan government about Kasab's hanging through letter. Since Pakistan refused to take the letter, same was sent through fax", Mr. Shinde said.
Pakistan denies charge
However, Pakistan rejected India''s asseration and claimed that the note regarding Ajmal Kasab's execution was “received” and “acknowledged”.
Survivors happy
Meanwhile Survivors of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack have expressed happiness over the hanging of Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving terrorist from the 26/11 terror attack.
"I am very much happy that Kasab has been hanged. But I would have been happier if this would have been done in public. It is a good news that a terrorist has been hanged... Wish this should have been done on the anniversary of the attack this year," 13-year-old Devika Rotwan, who was shot in the right leg in the terror attack, said.
Devika, who studies in class IX now, had gone to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) with her family members and was waiting for a train, when two terrorists opened fire.
Bhisham Mansukhani, who escaped the attack at the Taj Hotel, told PTI, "I am taken aback! It is surprising! I feel the death penalty is more of a political thing. I think by executing the death penalty the government is trying to earn brownie points and use this as a tool to brandish this during elections."
Mansukhani was on the roof-top of the Taj Mahal hotel in Colaba in south Mumbai on the dreadful night of November 26.
"By hanging Kasab, the government is trying to show that they have delivered justice, but to me this seems to be a political thing," he said.
Dr Kuresh Zorabi, whose bakery opposite Chabad House (Nariman House) in south Mumbai, was splattered with bullet holes in the 26/11 attack, said, "It is surprising and shocking, but at the same time I am little disappointed that all this was kept secret. This is difficult to digest for a second. I am thrilled that Kasab has been hanged. This will serve as a lesson to terrorists that India can take strict action against them."
Though Zorabi is content that Kasab has been hanged to death, he hopes that other perpetrators of the 26/11 attack, who are in Pakistan also meet a similar fate.
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