India News

Man behind 26/11 Mumbai attack: From planning of Mumbai attack to Ajmal Kasab’s death penalty, here’s all you need to know!

Out of 10 attackers in the 26/11 attack, nine of them died during the Mumbai attack, leaving Ajmal Kasab the only sole surviving attacker.

Published

4 years ago

November 26, 2021

It was 26th November 2008 when a series of terrorist attacks took place in Mumbai by 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan Islamist terrorist organization, killing a total of 175 people and injuring over 300 people. The attack drew widespread global condemnation that carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai.

Out of 10 attackers, nine of them died during the Mumbai attack, leaving Ajmal Kasab the only sole surviving attacker.

What type of training was given to the attackers of the Mumbai attack?

A group of men 24 men received training in marine warfare at a remote camp in mountainous Muzaffarabad in Pakistan. Part of the training was reported to have taken place on the Mangla Dam reservoir in Pakistan. From psychological to commando training, the attackers went through different types of training.

Out of them, 10 were selected for the Mumbai mission. They were also trained in swimming and sailing, as well as the use of high-tech weaponry and explosives under the supervision of LeT commanders.

How did Ajmal Kasab and other gangsters plan Mumbai attack?

The terrorists had planned the attack for several months in advance and were familiar enough with some locations to hide and return once security officers had departed. According to many reports, Kasab told authorities that the gang received assistance from Mumbai residents.

The attackers used at least three SIM cards purchased on the Indian side of the border with Bangladesh. Police also stated that Faheem Ansari, an Indian Lashkar agent who was arrested in February 2008, scouted the Mumbai locations for the November attacks.

They were given blueprints of all the four targets – The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

Which site was attacked by Ajmal Kasab?

Ajmal Kasab with Ismail Khan attacked Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Around 21:30 the attackers entered the passenger hall and opened fire using AK-47 rifles, killing 58 people and injuring 104 others. The two gunmen then fled the location and fired at pedestrians and police officers in the streets, killing eight police officers.

Later, they headed to the police station and then to the hospital to kill the patients. And during that time the gunfire took place between the attackers and the police officers killing 8 police personnel and Ismail Khan, one of the attackers. Kasab was wounded during the gun battle and after a physical struggle, he was arrested.

Ajmal Kasab trial and death penalty!

Kasab’s trial was postponed owing to legal complications since many Indian lawyers refused to defend him. A resolution was approved by the Mumbai Bar Association declaring that none of its members will represent Kasab. The Chief Justice of India, on the other hand, declared that Kasab deserved counsel for a fair trial. On February 25, 2009, Indian investigators issued an 11,000-page charge sheet against Kasab, accusing him of murder, conspiracy, and waging war against India, among other things.

Kasab initially apologized for the attacks and stated that he deserved the death punishment for his actions, but on December 18, 2009, he withdrew his confession and stated that he was forced to make his confession by police.

He was found guilty of murder for directly killing seven people, conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of the 164 people killed in the three-day terror siege, waging war against India, inciting terror, and conspiracy to murder two high-ranking police officials. On May 6, 2010, he was condemned to death by hanging. He did, however, appeal his sentence to the Supreme Court. Kasab’s death sentence was upheld by the Bombay High Court on 21 February 2011, rejecting his appeal.

On August 29, 2012, the Indian Supreme Court affirmed Kasab’s death sentence. Kasab petitioned the President of India for mercy, which was denied on November 5. Kasab was secretly hung at Pune’s Yerwada prison on November 21, 2012, at 7:30 a.m., as part of Operation ‘X.’

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Delhi-NCR sees second spell of rain and thunderstorms in four days

Delhi-NCR experienced another spell of rain and thunderstorms on March 18, with IMD forecasting more showers over the next few days.

Published

1 hour ago

March 18, 2026

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Delhi and parts of the National Capital Region witnessed another spell of rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds on Wednesday evening, marking the second such weather event in the past four days.

The sudden change brought relief from unusually high temperatures recorded earlier this month. According to officials, the temperature at Safdarjung — the city’s base weather station — was recorded at 24 degrees Celsius at 7 pm.

The India Meteorological Department had earlier issued an alert predicting light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning on March 18. Several areas across the capital experienced gusty winds along with brief but intense showers.

More rain likely over next two days

The weather department has forecast partly cloudy skies for March 19 and 20, with chances of light rain or thundershowers occurring once or twice during the day. On March 21, skies are expected to remain cloudy with the possibility of light showers continuing.

Conditions are likely to stabilise from March 23 onwards, with forecasts indicating a return to partly cloudy to clear skies across the region.

Weather activity across India to intensify

The IMD has also indicated widespread weather activity across multiple regions of the country in the coming days. Rainfall is expected to intensify in several states, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds.

In the northeastern region, heavy rainfall is likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya during the early part of the week.

Meanwhile, the western Himalayan region is also set to witness a shift in weather patterns. Himachal Pradesh is likely to receive heavy rainfall on March 19 and 20, while Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir may experience heavy showers around March 20.

India News

Centre pushes states to cut levies to boost PNG adoption

The Centre has asked states to reduce local levies and streamline approvals to accelerate PNG adoption and city gas infrastructure growth.

Published

4 hours ago

March 18, 2026

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The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has urged states and Union Territories to ease local levies and procedural barriers affecting City Gas Distribution (CGD) projects, in a bid to accelerate the adoption of piped natural gas (PNG) as a cleaner fuel alternative.

In a communication sent to Chief Secretaries, Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary Neeraj Mittal highlighted that high right-of-way charges, road cutting fees, lease rentals and other local levies imposed by urban bodies are discouraging investments in CGD infrastructure.

High costs slowing expansion

The ministry pointed out that the CGD sector, particularly PNG supply to households and commercial establishments, does not receive direct subsidies. As a result, it depends heavily on viable returns, which are being impacted by excessive and inconsistent local charges across states.

It noted that these financial and procedural hurdles are slowing down infrastructure expansion and affecting the broader adoption of natural gas.

Gap between connections and usage

According to the government, while around 12.63 crore PNG connections have been recorded, only about 1.6 crore are currently active. The ministry stressed that improving ease of doing business at state and local levels could help bridge this gap and expand the consumer base.

Officials believe that rationalising levies may initially reduce local revenues but could lead to higher long-term gains through increased gas consumption and economic activity.

LPG shortage adds urgency

The push for PNG adoption comes amid supply constraints in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Oil marketing companies are currently supplying only 20 per cent of normal commercial LPG demand to states.

To address this, the ministry has proposed increasing LPG allocation to 30 per cent for states that implement reforms supporting PNG and CGD expansion.

Reform-linked incentives for states

The Centre has suggested a set of measures that states can adopt to qualify for higher LPG allocations. These include:

Setting up empowered state and district-level committees for faster approvals
Introducing single-window clearance with deemed approvals within 24 hours
Implementing a dig-and-restore model using bank guarantees instead of restoration charges
Eliminating annual rental or lease charges for CGD infrastructure

The ministry said compliance with these reforms would be verified before granting additional LPG allocations.

Industry support measures

The communication also noted that GAIL and its subsidiaries have already allocated full gas supply to the commercial PNG segment to support businesses affected by reduced LPG availability.

The government reiterated that expanding natural gas usage aligns with its broader push for cleaner and domestically sourced energy.

India News

BJP seals Assam seat-sharing pact, Modi to hold 3 rallies in April

BJP has finalised its Assam seat-sharing plan with allies and is gearing up for an intense campaign led by PM Modi and Amit Shah.

Published

4 hours ago

March 18, 2026

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The Bharatiya Janata Party has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, firming up its strategy alongside National Democratic Alliance partners as campaigning gathers pace in the state.

Under the agreement, the BJP will contest 89 seats, while its allies — Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People’s Front — will field candidates in 26 and 11 constituencies respectively. The distribution has been decided after internal deliberations, with the focus now shifting to candidate announcements and campaign execution.

Campaign push led by top leadership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address three rallies in Assam during the final leg of the campaign. Tentative dates for the rallies are April 1, April 3 and April 6, with events likely to be held in key constituencies.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also set to spearhead an extensive campaign across the state through March, aiming to energise party workers and strengthen voter outreach.

Candidate selection underway

The party’s Central Election Committee is currently meeting to finalise candidates. Sources indicate that approvals for most constituencies are expected soon, and the BJP may release its complete list of candidates within the next two days.

Ticket distribution remains a crucial exercise, with internal discussions highlighting its potential impact on local political dynamics. Party leaders have also touched upon the proposed delimitation exercise scheduled for 2027, which is expected to have long-term implications for Assam’s electoral landscape.