Maharashtra home minister attends 26/11 trial

In a rare gesture, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil on Tuesday attended the trial proceedings in the 26/11 terror attack case along with Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe, in a special court in Mumbai.

Patil's visit assumes significance in the wake of the prosecution opening its final arguments against Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested during the terror siege in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, and two Indian nationals Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed.

Unprecedented security measures were undertaken at the court premises in view of the ministers' visit.

While Kasab is charged with killing 166 persons in the attack, Sabahuddin and Ansari are facing charges of drawing maps of targets and passing them on to Pakistani terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba for executing the terror strikes.