Kasab's counsel bows to apex court verdict

Reacting to the apex court verdict which upheld the death sentence awarded to Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, who defended him in the apex court as amicus curiae, said he "bows down" to the ruling.

"I bow to the verdict of the court. As amicus curiae, I was given an opportunity to advance every convincing arguments, I could," said Ramachandran, who was appointed amicus by the apex court to defend Kasab.

"I made my arguments and the court considered them. No lawyer should be attached to the result of the case... Let us all take pride in our judicial system," he added.

He said he considered Kasab's case as one of the greatest professional challenges of his career, which he performed as per the best of his abilities.

"I would definitely call it one of the greatest professional challenges of my career to be able to make plausible arguments in a case which world has thought to be hopeless.

"I think the court has given anxious consideration to various submissions made on behalf of the accused and that is a matter of satisfaction," Ramachandran told reporters soon after the apex court delivered its judgement.

The lawyer said, "I would not call it an opportunity (to be an amicus in Kasab case). I think it was an honour given to me.

"I took it as a sacred duty and I performed it to the best of my ability," he said.