Mumbai, Nov 21: Pakistani gunman, Ajmal Kasab, who was hanged today, was a fan of legendary playback singer late Mukesh and used to sing his favourite tunes during legal interviews, his lawyer Amin Solkar said today.
“'Hum chod chale is mehfil ko, yaad aaye to kabhie mat rona' (I am leaving this world, if you remember me please do not cry) rendered by Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab in jail keeps ringing in my ears,” Solkar said.
“Kasab often used to render this song whenever we met for legal conference and interview at Arthur Road jail here,” said Solkar on hearing about Kasab's execution at Pune's Yerwada prison here.
Solkar had defended Kasab in the Bombay High Court by arguing his appeal against death sentence awarded by lower court.
“Kasab also used to sing another famous number of legendary singer Mohammed Rafi but that song I do not remember right now,” Solkar said adding that Kasab was playful and a jolly guy, but a man of few words.
Though Kasab was blamed by police for ruthlessly firing at people in public places, there was no streak of aggressiveness in him, Solkar told PTI.
“I found Kasab always calm and quiet during our conferences though on one occasion he walked away in a huff over a point which he did not agree with me,” said Solkar.
“Normally, Kasab was a cool guy and I never found him aggressive or violent. However, on one occasion when we were discussing religion, he walked away in disagreement after telling policemen to handcuff him,” the lawyer said adding that perhaps that was a sign of frustration brewing in his mind.
“During our meetings, Kasab used to request us to convince the court to allow him some newspapers as he was in solitary confinement and had no one to talk to,” Solkar said.
“Kasab once requested me and my lawyer colleague Farhana Shah to ask the court to keep him with other convicts who have been awarded death sentence,” Solkar said adding that he perhaps wanted to socialise.
Both Solkar and Shah were appointed by the High Court to defend Kasab and argue his appeal against death sentence.
Solkar further said that Kasab did not approve their questions on his terror strikes on November 26, 2008, as he evaded them saying he did not remember.
“It appeared to us that he did not want to remember those events (firing at people and police). He often told us that he did not know what happened to him then and also that he did not remember those incidents,” he said.
The lawyer said Kasab once told them that he did not know how all those terror strikes happened on November 26, 2008, and how he got involved. However, he had admitted that he was from Pakistan and that his family was based there.
Kasab had also told his lawyers that he missed his family and had written to the Pakistan Consulate seeking union with his family and legal help. But he never received response and this had saddened him, Solkar said.
Recalling conferences with Kasab, Solkar said the Pakistani national had once told them that no one from his family or social circle had come to India to meet and support him.
To the lawyers' response that they were there to defend him and he could tell him whatever he wanted to say, Kasab expressed that they were from India and appointed by the Indian Government to represent him in the court. How could he share his feeling or views with them? Kasab had asked.
But whenever he met us, Kasab used to greet with his normal gesture of ‘Salaam', recalled Solkar.
