Thane: A social worker, who had barely left the CST railway station when Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and his accomplices wreaked havoc on November 26, 2008, has been sending letters every day to the Prime Minister and President since then, praying that he must be hanged immediately.
On death row for the brazen Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, the lone surviving perpetrator, Kasab, recently filed a mercy petition before the President.
Shell shocked after the attacks, 42-year-old social worker Narayan Patil started dropping a letter everyday addressed to Prime Minister, President, state Chief Minister, state Home Minister since December 17 at Kalyan tehsildar's office seeking justice be delivered by hanging Kasab.
"Till Saturday, I have dropped 1,372 letters at the tehsildar office. I demanded in my letters that Kasab must be taken to gallows immediately," Patil, whose father is a retired Army subedar, said.
Immediate capital punishment is the only solution for a terrorist like Kasab, Patil insisted.
"Condemning the attack, I also questioned the security system of the state government," Patil explained adding that, "Till the time Kasab gets hanged, I have decided not to celebrate any festival. So far I have remained away from any celebrations."
Kalyan tehsildar Shekhar Ghadge said, "Patil has been delivering the letters daily since December 2008 seeking Kasab's capital punishment. We are forwarding these letters to higher departments."
Recalling the incident, the social worker said he had just left the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, one of the terror sites, when he heard of the attack.
"One of my friends lost his life in the strikes. Like me, many people lost their family members and friends," he said sadly.
"I hope he should not be treated like terrorist Afzal Guru, who is yet to be given capital punishment," Patil said.
"I am living in agony for justice for the last four years. If Kasab has to be hanged tomorrow, then why not
today?" he asked.
Kasab and nine other Pakistani terrorists had landed in south Mumbai on November 26, 2008 by sea from Karachi and had gone on a shooting spree at various places, including Mumbai's landmarks - Hotel Taj and CST railway terminus, killing 166 people, including foreigners and policemen.
While all other Pakistani terrorists perished in the counter-offensive launched by security forces, Kasab was captured alive.
According to a reply received under RTI, as many as 11 mercy petitions of death row convicts are pending before President Pranab Mukherjee.
While only the file related to Balwant Singh Rajoana killer of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, is with the Home Ministry, 11 cases including that of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru are with Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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