Photographer recalls Mumbai chaos

By Prachi Pinglay
BBC News, Mumbai

Mr D'Souza says this photo shows Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab

A photographer who took the renowned picture of gunmen in Mumbai has been giving evidence at the trial of the suspect from last November's attacks.

Sebastian D'Souza identified Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab as one of the men who fired on commuters at Mumbai's crowded train station. At least 57 people died.

Mr Qasab has pleaded not guilty to waging war against India, murder and possessing explosives.

He appeared to break down and weep during proceedings.

More than 170 people died in various attacks across Mumbai on 26 November, including nine gunmen.

When asked to identify the defendant, Mr D'Souza said: "How can I forget him? He has made me famous.

"Both of them had guns and walked as if no one can touch him," he said of Mr Qasab and his alleged accomplice.

A photo editor at the Mumbai Mirror newspaper, Mr D'Souza had been on the way to the scene of one of the attacks at the Taj Mahal hotel when he heard firing from the railway station opposite his workplace.

He described to the court how he saved himself from gunfire by hiding behind pillars and in parked trains.

"Initially I saw two dark figures. They fired towards the ticket window. When they opened fire towards us it confirmed they were terrorists," he told the court.

'Crocodile tears'

Mr D'Souza took pictures of a bookshop owner and two policemen who were killed in the incident. Nineteen of his pictures were submitted as evidence and at least three of the images were of Mr Qasab.

His photographs earned him praise from the World Press Photo awards in 2009.

Mr Qasab, the sole surviving suspected attacker, kept his head down throughout the proceedings. He stayed quiet and his expression was grim.

However, before Mr D'Souza's cross-examination he put his head down and wept.

When judge ML Tahiliyani asked him if he was crying, he wiped his eyes and shook his head.

Mr Tahiliyani said that he could not allow Mr Qasab to leave the courtroom but did say that if Mr Qasab felt very unwell, he would let him go.

When asked if the photographs disturbed Mr Qasab, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said: "He is a trained terrorist. These are crocodile tears."

But Mr Qasab's lawyer, Abbas Kazmi, said: "He was not feeling well. He was feeling giddy."