Ajmal Kasab appeals for mercy from president

NEW DELHI, Sep 19 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, appealed for mercy from the president on Tuesday, just weeks after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence.

The Pakistani national's petition has been sent to the office of President Pranab Mukherjee, television channels reported.

There is no definite time period within which the president has to take the decision. The mercy petition of Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was convicted for an attack on the parliament in 2001, is still pending.

Kasab, who said he belonged to the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, was found guilty on more than 80 charges in May 2010, including murder and waging war on India, and was sentenced to death by hanging. The Supreme Court upheld the sentence on August 29.

Kasab was filmed walking through Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus carrying an AK-47 and a knapsack on his back during the attack.

It was part of a series of coordinated strikes on key landmarks in the city, including luxury hotels and a Jewish centre.

The three-day rampage led to an increase in tension between India and its nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan, causing a temporary suspension of peace talks.

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