Ajmal Kasab’s last moments; hell scared as hangman placed hood on his head

NEW DELHI: From a gun trotting youth making merry while killing people on the roads of Mumbai on the night of November 26, 2008 to a hell scared person anxious and nervous even trying to resist the hood from being placed on his head, as he realised that his end was so near, Ajmal Kasab seemed to have at last realised the fear of death, but quite late.

So much so he was heard swearing in the name of God that he will never commit such a mistake again. “Allah kassam aisi galti dobara kabhi nahi hogi”, (By God such a mistake will never be committed again), that is what he was heard having said to himself, needless to mention for him killing 160 people and enjoying it at the same time was just a “mistake” for the man who even during the trial was laughing and considering himself to be a war hero from Pakistan.

Ajmal Kasab’s last moments were full of anxiety, fear and resignation. Quite contrary to his defiant and remorseless stance during the trial when he would even laugh inside the court to provoke admonishment from the judge, Ajmal is learnt to had resigned to his fate once he was told by the jail officials that there was no more scope left for him for any more appeal and all his options had already been exhausted.

Kasab was moved from high security Arthur Road jail in Mumbai to Yervada jail in Pune last night under high security and equal secrecy. He was woken up at around 5.30 am in the morning (if at all he had slept). He is believed to have had no idea that he was being hanged the next morning.

He had a bath and was given a set of new clothes. He reportedly offered his morning prayers also before he was subjected to a medical checkup, a mandatory exercise according to the jail manual before a person is to be executed, and found physically fit.

He started having the feel that his final countdown had come when he was asked whether he had any last wish or whether he wanted to make any will or give his belongings to someone in particular. His answers to all the three questions were in negative.

Kasab reportedly asked the jail officials whether he had any more chance of appeal. During the conversation or in his soliloquy, after he realised that he was being hanged, he is heard to have said such mistake will never be committed again.

He is believed to have put some resistance initially when the hangman placed hood on his head. However, after a little struggle he gave up and resigned to his fate. He was hanged precisely at 7.30 am (Indian Standard Time) in the high security Yervada jail. At 7.45 am the jail doctor confirmed him to be dead and the same moment the Maharashtra Home Minister was informed about it.