LeT wanted Kasab to die as 'Samir Choudhari': ex-top cop's disclosures on 26/11 terrorist

Mumbai attacks terrorist Ajmal Kasab would have died as 'Samir Dinesh Chaudhari' if Hafiz Saeed's Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had triumphed in its plan, the ex-Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria revealed in his memoir 'Let me say it now'. The terror organisation based in Pakistan, planned to portray the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai as an act of 'Hindu terror'. 

LeT's plan was to have Kasab die as a resident of Bengaluru, named 'Samir Dinesh Chaudhari' with a 'red threat tied around his wrist'. In the memoir, the former Mumbai Police Commissioner wrote, "There would have been screaming headlines on newspapers claiming how Hindu terrorists had attacked Mumbai. Over the top TV journalists would have made a beeline for Bengaluru to interview his family and neighbours. But alas, it had not worked that way and here he was, Ajmal Amir Kasab of Faridkot in Pakistan." In one of the pictures of Ajmal Kasab with an assault rifle in his hand, shows the terrorist with a red threat tied around his wrist. 

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In further revealtions, Maria said that Kasab had "nothing to do with Jihad" and that he had joined the terror organisation LeT to commit robberies in view to improve his financial status. It was known from the book that Pakistan's secret service agency ISI and LeT were 'bent upon eliminating him by hook or crook to obliterate the only living evidence of their heinous deed.' He added that Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company was given the responsibility to kill the terrorist. 

The former Police Commissioner, in addition, divulged that the caught terrorist was indoctrinated enough to believe that Indian Muslims were prohobited from praying namaaz and that mosques were locked up by authorities. The book said, "Kasab seriously believed that Muslims were not allowed to offer namaaz in India, and mosques were locked up by the authorities. He felt that the azaan he heard five times a day in the crime branch lockup was just a figment of his imagination. When we came to know of this, I instructed Mahale (investigating officer Ramesh Mahale) to take him to the mosque near the metro cinema in a vehicle." Kasab reportedly was "bewildered" to see the namaz being prayed. 

The book revealed that after going through three rounds of training, Kasab was reportedly given Rs. 1,25,000 and a week-long family visit, wherein the terrorist gave the money for his sister's wedding. "It gave me a deep insight into the psyche of how terrorist outfits operated. Our daily interactions forged some sort of a bond between Kasab and me, and soon Kasab began addressing me respectfully as 'Janab' (sir)," the former top cop revealed. 

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Govt on Kasab's revealation  

Responding on the same, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, "Firstly, why is Maria saying this now? He should have said it when he was the Police Commissioner. If the Police authorities have certain information, they should have taken some action on it. A big conspiracy was planned by the Congress party, UPA government. They had tried to create a boogie of 'hindu terror' through Chidambaram. I condemn Congress and those who lie about 'hindu terror'. They got a response in 2014 and 2019 by the people of the country. Terror has no religion, a terrorist is a terrorist." In 2010, as per published files of WikiLeaks, Congress' Rahul Gandhi told the then US Ambassador at lunch that Hindu extremists groups post a greater threat to his country than the Muslim terrorists. 

Kasab was awarded death sentence for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks and was hung on November 21, 2012 in Pune's Yerawada jail. Reportedly, before his hanging he said 'Sir, you won, I lost.' As per the probe, it was previously reported that Hafiz Saeed told the group of young men that they have to fight to 'liberate Kashmir.' He was one of the 10 men sent via the sea route to Mumbai.

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