Kasab's statement not confession but admission of guilt: Jud

 The special court trying the lone surviving terrorist in 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, on Tuesday said the Pakistani gunman's statement pleading guilty before it was not a confession but an admission of guilt.

Judge M.L. Tahaliyani said Kasab's statement before the court was "broadly speaking not a confession but an admission of guilt."

Mr. Tahaliyani's observation came after Kasab concluded his version of events related to November 26 terror strikes.

In a dramatic turn of events, Kasab on Monday confessed to his involvement in the terror strikes at CST and other locations, apart from giving a detailed description of his training by Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan.

Kasab was free to plead guilty at any point of time during the course of the trial, the court observed.

The court would need to verify whether Kasab was genuinely pleading his guilt as there were many charges against him, Judge Tahaliyani said.

The court could then accept or reject Kasab's statement or accept his plea and continue with the trial, the judge said.

Kasab, who was caught alive during the Mumbai attacks, had already recorded a confession before a magistrate but later withdrew it alleging it was obtained through coercion by police.

The gunman had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges framed against him.