Custody for Kasab till January 19

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Mumbai carnage terrorist arrested, was today remanded in police custody till January 19 by a magistrate's court for his role in the shootout at the Cama and Albless Hospital in south Mumbai.

Kasab, who has been in police custody since his arrest on November 26, was not produced in the court due to security concerns.

Additional Metropolitan Magistrate N. Shrimangale and Additional Public Prosecutor E.B. Dhamal along with court staff went to the police lockup where Kasab is being kept. "We argued that we (police) have to investigate the incident at Cama hospital where firing took place," Dhamal said. Kasab did not speak during the court hearing and did not have any lawyer representing him, he said.

"When asked by the magistrate if he (Kasab) had any complaints against the police, he said he had none," Dhamal said. Kasab and his accomplice Ismail Khan had attacked the Cama and Albless Hospital in south Mumbai killing seven persons there. Two police officials, two hospital personnel and three civilians, were killed in the firing. Police personnel, including Additional Commissioner of Police Sadanand Date, were also injured while engaging the terrorist duo.

Kasab, a resident of Faridkot in Pakistan, has been booked in 12 cases for his involvement in the November 26 terror strikes in which over 160 persons were killed. He is presently in judicial custody in connection with three other cases.

The earlier cases against Kasab were the shootout at the Girgaum Chowpatty in which he was captured, the ambush on a police vehicle near Rang Bhavan auditorium in which three senior police officials including Joint Commissioner of Police (ATS) Hemant Karkare were killed and the theft of a vehicle at Marine Drive. Kasab had been remanded to police custody in three other cases. The terrorist's remand in the vehicle theft case, which was given on December 24, ended today. Nine other terrorists who were involved in the terror strikes in south Mumbai at the Taj and Trident Hotels and Nariman House were killed by security forces.