Funeral prayers for Kasab in Kochi; IB starts probe

KOCHI: A funeral prayer was offered at a mosque in Kochi for Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist involved in the Mumbai attacks, who was hanged in Pune Jail on November 21.

No sooner had the news leaked out, than the person who led the funeral prayer was removed from the mosque committee.  The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has begun a probe on the funeral prayer.

It is learnt that the prayer, which was offered on a Friday soon after Kasab was hanged, was led by a native of Chelakkulam in Perumbavur. The funeral prayer was offered after the usual prayer.

The name of Ajmal Kasab was included in the list of persons to whom funeral prayers were to be offered. Besides, in the speech delivered after the prayers, the hanging of Kasab was severely criticized.

Only a very few believers remained at the mosque to attend the funeral prayer as many have left after the usual prayer. One section of believers who were present there protested against the inclusion of Kasab’s name in the list. They also demanded to take stringent action against the man who included the name of Kasab, who was part of a team of ten terrorists who killed 166 people during three days of carnage in Mumbai four years ago.

Subsequently, the person who led the funeral prayer was removed from the committee. The issue had been concealed. But it was made public when there was move to include the person back to the mosque committee. It has been said that the funeral prayer was secretly supported by some organizations.