Kasab charged with waging war on India

A special court on Wednesday charged Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone survivor of Mumbai terror attacks, with waging war on India.

Ajmal Kasab pleaded not guilty to 86 charges which were formally put to him at a special prison court in Mumbai that is hearing evidence about the November 26-29 attacks.

Kasab, wearing a buttoned-down mauve shirt and blue jeans, looked relaxed as he replied in Hindi to the indictment.

"It is all wrong," he told the court. "I do not accept the charges." In court documents, Kasab gave his full name as Mohammed Ajmal Mohammed Amir Kasab and stated he was a labourer from Faridkot in Pakistani Punjab.

He signed the papers, saying that he understood the charges against him. The charges, which run to 50 pages, were read out in court by Judge ML Tahiliyani. They include waging war against India, destabilising the government, murder, kidnap, robbery and "causing terror," as well as smuggling illegal arms and high explosives into the country.

Kasab and his Pakistani associates had brought arms illegally to India to strike terror in Mumbai, the prosecutor said. Union government has also given sanction to prosecute Kasab and others under IPC for "waging war against the nation".

If found guilty, the accused may face punishment ranging from death sentence to life imprisonment.