Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving terrorist from the 26/11 terror attack, was hanged to death at the Yerawada Jail in Pune this morning, Maharashtra home minister R.R. Patil today said.
Kasab was hanged at 7.30 am, he said here. 25-year-old Kasab had been lodged in the Arthur Jail Road here ever since he was arrested immediately after the attack in 2008. He was convicted and given capital punishment by the trial court on May 6, 2010 which was upheld by the Bombay high court on February 21, 2011.
The Supreme Court subsequently upheld the sentence on August 29 this year. “Due process of law has been followed,” Patil said adding that hanging came after the President of India rejected his mercy petition on November 8.
“This is a true homage to the innocent victims, including policemen and security personnel, who laid down their lives,” he said.
166 persons had died in the attack. Police had succeeded in capturing Kasab alive after killing the remaining nine terrorists. “Attack on Mumbai was an attack on the entire country,” Patil said.