17 months after the 26/11 incident in Mumbai, Ajmal Kasab’s trial has come to an end and almost 86 criminal charges filed against him were upheld. However, those who were accused of abetting Kasab were acquitted. Kasab was found guilty by Judge ML Tahaliyani for conspiring for murder of 159 people, murdering 7 people and waging war against India. Meaning, Kasab faces a possibility of being hanged until death.
Even if Kasab is sentenced to death, this may not be the final trial as Kasab’s lawyer can and will appeal in high court and then in Supreme Court. Even if Supreme Court sentences Kasab to death by hanging, he can still file a mercy petition to the President of India. Not surprisingly, there are already 50 mercy petitions in queue. In short, it could take years before Kasab faces the gallows.
Strangely, even if the death sentence is implemented, what is it going to accomplish? What would we have proven? The ten terrorists that came from across the border by boat, weren’t they already prepared to die? The task at hand for us is to prevent terror incidents like 26/11 and to enhance national security.
Kasab’s trial took about a year’s time and in the process 34 crores of Maharashtra government’s money was spent. Can the Maharashtra government justify spending so much time on a single terrorist? Yes. This was not just about Kasab, but an entire terrorist organization that might be training hundreds and thousands of Kasabs and this Kasab was the key for more information. The fact that this organization has its base across the border does not make it easier for the police to investigate.
Can the Maharashtra government justify spending so much of exchequer’s money on a single trial? No. Let’s face it. We are not a rich nation and these are recession times. We are still a developing country and have only so many resources. Now, if 7 or 8 people have been held alive on 26/11, the money spent on the trial could have easily been doubled or tripled. We cannot afford to build special jails and spend such kind of money on terrorists. Instead, this kind of money should be spent on enhancing national security and fortifying our intelligence bureau. As they say, prevention is better than cure.