26/11 Attacks: Mumbai Court Initiates Trial in Absentia for Haafiz Saeed, 5 Others
A special court in Mumbai has initiated proceedings to conduct a trial in absentia against six Pakistani accused in the 26/11 terror attack case, including Lashkar-e-Taiba handlers Haafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. The court issued a proclamation directing the accused to appear on or before August 18.
This marks the first trial in absentia in a terror case under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam noted that Section 356 of the BNSS permits the trial of absconding offenders in their absence to prevent delays in delivering justice.
Special Judge S R Navander issued the proclamation against Saeed, Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, Abu Alqama, Asim alias Abu Qahafa, and Major Abdur Rehman Pasha. The proclamation was forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs to be published through Interpol.
The move followed a formal request from Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, who wrote to Nikam urging the prosecution to invoke Section 356 of the BNSS for an expeditious trial.
Nikam stated that an application was submitted to the special court detailing the roles of the wanted accused, which had been disclosed during the interrogation of convicted terrorist Ajmal Kasab.
According to investigators, Saeed is accused of engineering and executing the attacks, while Lakhvi, Qahafa, and Alqama were present in a control room in Malir, Karachi, supervising operations and monitoring television broadcasts. They were accompanied by Indian national Sayyed Zabihudin alias Abu Jundal, who taught Hindi and local terms to the 10 attackers.
During the attacks between November 26 and 29, 2008, 166 people were killed across multiple landmarks in the city, including the Hotel Taj Mahal Palace and Towers, Hotel Trident, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Jewish centre Nariman House, Cama hospital, and Cafe Leopold. Security forces killed nine terrorists and captured Kasab alive.
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch had earlier secured Interpol Red Corner Notices against Saeed, Lakhvi, Mir, and Major Pasha, along with Blue Corner Notices against Qahafa and Alqama.
