It’s not every day that a terrorist confesses to his heinous crimes. But it is every day that the government is expected to dispense ordinary justice. Now that Ajmal Kasab has pleaded guilty, all the authorities need to do is complete the trial and sentencing.
Ever since he was taken into police custody last year, Kasab’s trial has made a mockery of India’s legal system. First, it was a lawyers’ association that refused to let its members defend a terrorist, then it was the Shiv Sena that made life hell for his defence lawyers. Almost everything, from Kasab’s request for an Urdu version of the 11,000-page chargesheet to his demand for a flavoured toothpaste, suggested that this tragedy was fast turning into a farce.
If India cares even one bit about the credibility of this legal system, it will quickly move the trial ahead. That means quickly winding up the case, sentencing him, handling a possible appeal process, and then executing whatever sentence the court decides on. We aren’t asking for too much.