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On the fifth anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks,India Monday made it clear to Pakistan that it would not be satisfied unless the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks were given maximum punishment.
"They (Pakistan) should book the culprits and unless they are given maximum punishment, I don't think our nation will be satisfied," Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told the media in the national capital.
A team of 10 heavily armed Pakistani militants entered Mumbai through searoute in November 2008 and carried out the terror attacks in which more than 170 people, including six foreigners, were killed and more than 300 others injured.
India had handed over several dossiers to Pakistan containing evidence against those responsible for the terror attacks. The dossiers contained testimony of Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist caught alive in the massacre, who was hanged last year after a trial.
Meanwhile,a new defense lawyer in the ongoing case in Mumbai has criticized the Indian government for having delayed the trial by not submitting proper evidence, reported local daily The Hindu on Tuesday.
The new defense lawyer, Rizwan Abbasiwho is representing all seven accused in the case, told a press conference Monday that the case was already prolonged and he would approach the high court for expediting the trial, according to the newspaper.
Abbasi said no concrete evidence was provided against any of the seven accused in jail, all Indian nationals accused of involvement in the attacks which killed over 160 in the Indian financial capital.
He said the Indian courts did not allow the Pakistan Judicial Commission to meet or cross examine Ajmal Kasab, the lone gunman captured alive in the case who was hanged last year.
He also said his clients were in jail based on that single confession statement by Kasab, who later retracted it.
In addition, he said that India did not provide timely evidence and only sent dossiers to Pakistan which are not admissible in a court of law.
Evidence including Kasab's photographs or supporting statements were not sent to Pakistan, he said.
While the bail applications of his clients were rejected, he plans to wait for a few hearings and move the high court for an expeditious end to the trial which started in 2009, he added.
