Kasab and Ismail had plans to target Raj Bhavan: Prosecutor

Mumbai, Apr 20 (PTI) The lone surviving gunman Mohammed
Ajmal Amir Kasab and slain Lashkar-e-Toiba operative Ismail
Khan had planned to strike Raj Bhavan but could not succeed as
they were overpowered by police at Chowpatty enroute to
Malabar Hill, the prosecution said Monday.

A map which showed locations such as Chowpatty, Malabar
Hill and Raj Bhavan was recovered from Ismail's pocket,
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told a special court
here.

This was the same map allegedly made by arrested accused
Faheem Ansari for the conspirators. The map was given to a
handwriting expert who said it was prepared by Faheem, the
prosecutor said.

Only Ismail alias Ismail Abu knew the target at Malabar
hill and had told Kasab that he would reveal it when they
reached there.

Both had stolen a Skoda car and were driving towards
Malabar hill when an encounter broke out with police at
Chowpatty. Ismail was killed and Kasab was captured alive,
Nikam said.

Although Kasab's confession does not talk about their
plans to strike Raj Bhavan, the place was marked prominently
in brackets on the map seized from Ismail's pocket after he
was killed.

This indicated that Raj Bhavan was a potential target,
Nikam told judge M L Tahilyani. PTI SVS
PMR