Record of cross-examination of the Indian witnesses by a Pakistani judicial commission in connection with the Mumbai attacks case is likely to be received by the Pakistani authorities today (Thursday), a prosecutor said.
An anti-terrorism court conducting trial of seven Pakistani suspects charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks had on October 3 postponed proceedings till Thursday because of lack of the Indian court’s record.
“The record was supposed to reach us in a week but this has been delayed. The foreign office has told me that it might come by afternoon,” Special Public Prosecutor Chaudhury Mohammed Azhar said.
Asked about the delay, Indian diplomatic sources said the record was sent to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi last week.
The Mumbai attacks case was adjourned for three weeks after the prosecution informed the judge that India had not submitted the court record of cross-examination of key witnesses in Mumbai by the Pakistani judicial commission.
Prosecution officials told the court that the report on judicial commission’s visit to India would be presented once Pakistani authorities receive the Indian court’s record.
Observing that summons could not be issued to witnesses till the report is submitted, the judge adjourned the case till 24 October (today).
The commission cross-examined the magistrate who recorded lone surviving attacker Ajmal Kasab’s statement, the chief investigating officer and two doctors who conducted the autopsy of the terrorists who carried out the attacks.
This was the commission’s second visit to India. A report submitted by the panel after its first visit in March 2012 was rejected by an anti-terrorism court as the commission’s members were not allowed to cross-examine the witnesses.