The 26/11 Pakistani delegation’s task in India began on a stormy note after the delegation demanded permission to cross-examine the witnesses at the chief metropolitan magistrate’s court on Friday.
However, the court denied the motion for cross-examination.
The delegation reached the Esplanade court on Friday morning to record the statements of four key witnesses in a case that is currently underway in a Pakistani court against Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and others in connection with the 26/11 terror attacks.
However, before they began recording the statements, they made a verbal plea, seeking permission to cross-examine the four witnesses. The motion was met with stiff opposition from public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. The heated argument between the prosecution and the delegation continued for several minutes.
“A bilateral arrangement in this regard was already reached between India and Pakistan in October 2010. Further, the hearing on the death sentence awarded to Ajmal Aamir Kasab is still pending with the Supreme Court. Hence, we opposed the motion, and the court denied permission to cross-examine the witnesses,” Mr Nikam said.
Following the court’s denial, the first witness — additional chief metropolitan magistrate R.V. Sawant Waghule — was called to depose. Ms Waghule was the magistrate in whose presence the first magisterial statement of Kasab was recorded following his arrest during the 26/11 terror raids in the city.