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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ajmal-Kasab-sang-in-cell-the-night-before/articleshow/17315687.cms
PUNE: It was only when he was being taken to the gallows that Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab lost his composure. The 26/11 terrorist, who was hanged to death at the Yerawada central prison at 7.30 am on Wednesday, remained "cool" and even "sang songs in his cell" on Tuesday night, barely hours after he was told that he would be executed the next morning, sources said.
However, Kasab hardly slept on Tuesday night. In the morning, he expressed an unusual desire for tomatoes and the jail authorities gave him a basketful. However, his last wish to meet his family could not be fulfilled. He was buried in the Yerawada jail premises itself.
Kasab was brought from Mumbai's Arthur Road jail to the Yerawada jail at 4.30 am on Tuesday in a secret operation. A convoy of six vehicles accompanied by special commandos took the Mumbai-Pune expressway to reach the jail.
Before Kasab could reach Pune, hectic preparations were afoot at the Yerawada jail for his execution with the jail staff preparing the rope to be used for the hanging and even doing a dummy trial. "Special trials were undertaken particularly to check if the wooden board on the gallows could sustain Kasab's weight," a source said. Jail authorities even shifted out all the convicts lodged in the high security 'anda' cell (an egg-shaped cell which is divided in two parts) to lodge Kasab till late Tuesday evening, when he had to be shifted to the special cell where convicts to be taken to the gallows are kept.
Kasab was medically examined on his arrival at the Yerawada jail around 5 am. "We evaluated his consciousness, orientation and physical fitness. He weighed 52.5 kg and his blood pressure was normal at 120/80. He was evaluated for his mental fitness too by a jail psychiatrist," the source said, adding that Kasab appeared quite normal and confidently answered all questions posed by the doctors. "There was no trace of nervousness in him," the source said.
Kasab was told by the jail authorities on Tuesday evening that he would be executed on Wednesday. "He barely slept that night. He was asked to get ready at 4 am. He said he wanted to eat tomatoes, so he was given a basketful. However, he took only two tomatoes and ate only one around 6 am," the source said. After that, he offered namaz, read the Quran and was given prayer beads by the jail officials.
As per procedure, Kasab took another medical examination in his cell on Wednesday morning and was declared "medically fit to be hanged". Asked about his last wish, he said: "Gharwalon ko milna hai (I want to meet my family)". He was told that the Pakistan government had been informed about his hanging but had failed to respond. Asked if he had any other wish, he replied in the negative, the source said.
Kasab was brought to the gallows at 7.20 am. Dressed in the regular jail uniform for convicts, his hands and legs were tied, his head covered with a black cloth and the noose placed around his neck. It was then that he started speaking incoherently apart from seeking divine forgiveness. Sources said that he was hanged at 7.30 am in the presence of a special magistrate, a district administration official, a doctor, a medical team and jail officials.
Minutes after the hanging, a doctor declared Kasab dead and issued a death certificate, the sources said. The jail superintendent then signed a certificate stating that the convict had been hanged and a message was sent to the home ministry about the execution.
Kasab was buried in an open space near the 'faasi' (gallows) gate on jail premises at 9.30 am. Six pits were kept ready to ensure the exact burial spot remains a secret, sources said. "The special cell is located near the 'faasi' yard inside the jail premises, about 300 to 400 metres ahead to the left of the famous Gandhi yard. The Gandhi yard is located to the left after one enters the main entrance of the jail," the sources said.
The entire preparation, including making the rope and actual execution, was done by the jail staff, some of whom were trained by the last hangman, Arjun Jadhav, before he retired in 1996.