Ajmal Kasab had no regret after Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks, says Retd SPI Ramesh Mahale

Ajmal Kasab had no regret for killing people, retired senior police inspector Ramesh Mahale, chief investigating officer of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, remembered ahead of the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack.

Kasab was among the ten terrorists who launched a deadly attack on Mumbai on November 26, 2008. While other terrorists were killed over the next three days, Kasab was captured alive on the November 26 night. As many as 166 people, including 18 security personnel, were killed and several others were injured in the mayhem. Kasab was hanged on November 21, 2012.

In an exclusive conversation with Republic's Sandip Singh, Mahale said that Kasab was brainwashed at Lakshar-e-Taiba camp. "Kasab went to take training at LeT camp with the intention to get guns to loot houses and dacoit but turned terrorist after he was brainwashed," he said.

"Kasab confessed that Lakhvi (LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman) told him once he dies he would go to jannat and he was told that his body would smell like flowers, he would get angels in heaven (jannat)," he added.

The retired police inspector recalled that Kasab tried to mislead officials in the initial days of his arrest but later cooperated as he had no other option.

"After three to four days, he started giving us all the information. He was brainwashed that Hindus are cruel to Muslims in India and Muslims don't get space to offer namaz. We showed him how Muslims offer namaz in the open with police protection," Mahale said, adding that, "Our aim was to prove him guilty before the court, and expose Pakistan."

"Lakhvi had told him that you are at war and have to die, and if you are caught then commit suicide or shoot yourself, but the late Tukaram Omble took bullets in his chest and caught Kasab red-handed, Mumbai Police is the only agency which caught a terrorist red-handed," he said.

Ramesh Mahale told Republic that he feels satisfied that his investigation led to the hanging of Kasab. "I took Kasab to Yervada jail where he was hanged, very few people were aware of his hanging. I travelled with him from Mumbai to Pune Yerwada, he was served with a death warrant a week before his hanging," he remembered,