The mercy petition of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, has been been processed by the Union Home Ministry and recommended for rejection to the President. A top Home Ministry official said, Kasab's mercy petition has been rejected by the government as he was involved in a grave crime and waging war against India that led to killing 166 people, including foreigners. The 25-year-old Pakistani and nine other fellow Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists had landed in Mumbai on November 26, 2008 by sea from Karachi and had gone on a shooting spree at various places, carrying out the country's worst terror attack. While Kasab was captured alive, the other terrorists were killed by security forces.

Kasab's mercy petition was sent to the Home Ministry by the Maharashtra government last month after rejecting the plea.

An official release said, the Home Ministry has processed Kasab's mercy petition and submitted it to President for decision.

After nearly a four-year-long legal battle, the Supreme Court had, on August 29, confirmed the death penalty awarded to the LeT operative by the trial court and later upheld by the Bombay High Court. The Lashkar-e-Taiba operative had filed mercy petition before the President on the 18th of September after he lost the battle in the Apex Court.

The Pakistani gunman is currently lodged in the high-security Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.After the Home Ministry's recommendation, it is now left to the President to take a final decision on Kasab's mercy plea.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, in the 26/11 case, has welcomed the decision of the Union Home Ministry. He said it shows to the entire world that in a democratic country like India, we can complete trial against a terrorist within the shortest possible time by following the principles of natural justice and legal process.