26/11 trial completed in quickest time: Moily

As the country observes the second anniversary of the 26/11 attacks, Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily on Friday said the trial in the case was "fair" and completed in the "quickest possible time."

Moliy's statement comes a day after Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab called for a retrial in the Mumbai attacks case, calling the trial, which convicted him unfair.       

"The process of trial is over and he (Kasab) has been convicted. The only question is about the natural process of appeal and all and you can't cut that short. That is for the judiciary to decide and adjudicate as early as possible. I agree with you but for the first time, in case of this dimension, the trial has been completed in quickest possible time," he told mediapersons in New Delhi.

The law minister was asked if Kasab's trial should be completed in a fixed time frame and should not be allowed to drag on for a long period.

On demand by Kasab's lawyers for a retrial, the minister said, "It is for the Bombay high court to consider whether it was fair trial or not but I don't think anybody can reflect on the trial. It was very fair and it was in the public domain. In our country, the judiciary doesn't function secretly. Everything is open and most transparent."

Kasab, was sentenced to death by a Mumbai court in May.