New Delhi:
Supreme Court judges will tomorrow hear excerpts of phone conversations between the men who executed the 26/11 terror attacks and their Pakistani handlers.
The phone conversations, intercepted by Indian intelligence agencies, have been submitted to the court as evidence that the terror attack was "pre-planned". Nearly 160 people were killed as ten young men from Pakistan spread across Mumbai in 2008, targeting landmarks like the CST railway station at rush hour.
Only one of those terrorists was caught alive. Ajmal Kasab has appealed to the Supreme Court against the death sentence given to him by the Bombay High Court.
Last week, the two Supreme Court judges hearing Kasab's appeal were shown copies of a diary maintained by the terrorists on board the Kuber, an Indian boat they hijacked by killing its crew. The diary revealed the insidious itinerary planned as the terrorists approached Mumbai. Former Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam, who is representing the Maharashtra government, said the diary, written in Urdu, showed that the men split up into pairs once they arrived at the Gateway of India.
According to Mr Subramaniam, the audio tapes reveal the Pakistani handlers asking the terrorists why they didn't ensure the sinking of the Kuber once they reached Mumbai. He also alerted the judges that victims of the terror attacks can be heard crying on the tapes.
The two judges will also view footage of the attacks - security camera recordings from the Taj and Oberoi hotels and the CST station will be reviewed.