'We had to protect Kasab from within police dept'

Authorities of the Mumbai police had to protect Ajmal Kasab, the sole Pakistani terrorist arrested during the November 26 attack on the city, not only from the angry public, but even "from within the (police) department," Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Rakesh Maria said on Monday.

Maria, who was the joint commissioner during the terror siege on Mumbai, supervised the investigation as well as security measures for the 26/11 trial.

"There was a lot of public anger. The department had lost some of the best officers (during the attack), so we had to protect Kasab from within the department because there was anger in the department also," Maria told a TV channel during an interview.

Three top police officials in the city, Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Ashok Kamte, were killed by Kasab and his associate Abu Ismail on the day of the attack.

The special court in Mumbai is expected to declare the verdict on Kasab and co-accused Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed today.