The prosecution is all set to wind up its arguments in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case at the designated court conducting the trial, presided by judge M L Tahilyani, by November 26, the first anniversary of the strike, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.

‘The prosecution has so far examined 265 witnesses and about a dozen more are left. The case may be wrapped up by November 26, a year after the terror attacks,’ Mr Nikam said, while talking to media persons.

The prosecution will also tender affidavits of the 300 witnesses, who will not be examined personally, because they include the ones who had carried bodies of victims to hospitals, relatives of victims who claimed the bodies, people who suffered damage to their properties and medical officers, who treated the victims, Mr Nikam said.

The lone arrested Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab is facing the trial along with two Indians, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed.

While Kasab faces charges of multiple murders, others are charged with conspiracy.

Defence advocate Abbas Kazmi, representing Kasab, said that after prosecution closes its case, defence lawyers will exercise their right to examine their witnesses.

He said that the accused will then give their statements on the evidence produced against them and finally the court would give its verdict after hearing the arguments.

According to sources, the final verdict of the case may be delivered within three to four months.

The trial began on May 8 this year. Altogether, 30 eyewitnesses have identified Kasab in the identification parade in the court.

Forensic experts have also given their opinion that the DNA samples collected from the boat--Kuber (in which terrorists landed in Mumbai), matched with the DNA of Kasab and five other slain terrorists.

As a vital piece of evidence, the prosecution had produced the CCTV footages of terrorists from cameras installed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station, Times of India Building (opposite CST), Hotel Taj and Hotel Oberoi-Trident, which were screened in the court.

Besides CCTV footages, weapons and RDX seized from Kasab and the slain terrorists were also placed as evidence. The prosecution is relying upon Kasab’s confession before a Magistrate, wherein he recorded that the conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan to attack the city. The prosecution is also relying on a plea made by Kasab in the court, partly accepting his guilt in the crime.

Kasab had earlier confessed before the designated court that he had taken part in the conspiracy, but said that he played a secondary role in the terror attacks as Abu Ismail was his leader.

The gunman denied that he had fatally shot top police officers Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamate and constable Tukaram Omble.

A total of 166 people, including foreign nationals from UK, USA and Isrel, were killed and 304 others injured when the terrorists struck Hotel Taj, Hotel Oberoi-Trident, Nariman House, CST, Cama Hospital and Cafe Leopold. The terrorists also planted bombs in two taxis, which exploded.

UNI