Court to determine age of Mumbai attack accused Kasab

MUMBAI (Reuters) - A special court hearing charges against Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the alleged lone surviving gunman of last year's attack in Mumbai, has directed that medical tests be conducted to establish if the accused is a minor as claimed by the defence.

The prosecution argues that Kasab told police, in a confession, and prison authorities he was born in 1987.

Defence attorney Abbas Kazmi, has argued the confession was coerced and that Kasab, who is charged with waging war on the country, was not even 17 years old at the time of the attack on Nov. 26 in which 166 people were killed.

"Judge Tahilyani has ruled that medical and dental tests be conducted on the accused to determine his age," Kazmi told reporters outside the city's Arthur Road jail, where Kasab is being held, and where the trial is being conducted.

The medical tests will be conducted in a day or two, he said.

"The defence will also cross-examine two prosecution witnesses, a medical officer before whom Kasab was produced after his arrest, and a jail official, on April 28," he said.

Tahilyani had last week dismissed the defence submission that Kasab must be tried in a juvenile court as he was a minor, but had said the court may revisit the matter at a later date.

The prosecution plans to produce more than 1,800 witnesses and more than 750 pieces of evidence to prove Kasab's direct involvement in seven cases and indirect involvement in five.

If found guilty, Kasab could face the death penalty.

The attacks on India's financial hub by 10 gunmen who police say arrived by sea from Pakistan, sparked renewed tensions between the states, with New Delhi saying state agencies were involved in the attack on several landmarks. link..