Mumbai:It was a cool night on November 26, 2008, when 10 heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists brazenly entered Mumbai through the soft Arabian Sea route in a dinghy.
Minutes later, they launched one of the most brutal terrorist attacks that the world has seen, targeting several prime locations in South Mumbai, covering a 4-5 sq km area, leaving India shaken and the global community shocked.
The attack – at iconic locations such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Hotel Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Hotel Trident, Nariman House, Leopold Café, Cama Hospital, Wadi Bunder – killed 166 persons and left another 300 injured, besides inflicting massive damage to public and private properties.
Here's what happened – and the subsequent sensational events that finally culminated in the hanging of the sole gunman caught alive, Ajmal Amir Kasab. But, the 26/11 strike case still continues in courts:
2008:
Nov 26: Kasab and nine Pakistani gunmen launch a bloody attack on multiple locations in south Mumbai.
Nov 27: At 1.30 am, Kasab is caught and placed under arrest, admitted to Nair hospital.
Nov 29: Kasab gives statement to police, confesses role.
Nov 29: All places under siege secured after 60 hours, nine terrorists killed – Nazir, Babar Imran alias Abu Aksa, Abu Ali, Abu Soheb, Bada Abdul Rehman, Abu Umar, Fahadullah, Abdul Rehman Chhota and Abu Ismael.
Nov 30: Kasab confesses before police.
Dec 27/28: Identification parade held.
2009:
Jan 13: M L Tahaliyani appointed 26/11 Special Judge.
Jan 16: The high-security Arthur Road Central Jail selected as the venue for Kasab's trial.
Feb 5: Kasab's DNA samples matches with articles seized from the Kuber fishing boat.
Feb 20/21: Kasab confesses before Magistrate (Mrs) R V Sawant-Wagule.
Feb 22: Criminal lawyer Ujjwal Nikam appointed Special Public Prosecutor (SPP).
Feb 25: Charge-sheet against Kasab, two others, filed in Esplanade Metropolitan Court.
April 1: Anjali Waghmare appointed Kasab's lawyer.
April 15: Trial of 26/11 case commences.
April 15: Anjali Waghmare removed as Kasab's lawyer.
April 16: Advocate S G Abbas Kazmi appointed Kasab's lawyer. Claims Kasab is a "minor".
April 17: Kasab's confession opened in court, he retracts.
April 20: Prosecution charges Kasab on 312 counts.
April 29: Kasab is a major, say experts.
May 6: Charges framed, Kasab charged on 86 counts, denies charges.
May 8: First eyewitness deposes, identifies Kasab.
June 23: Non-bailable warrants issued against 22, including the dreaded Hafeez Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi – both in Pakistan.
June 25: Kasab suffering from ulcers, court told.
July 20: Kasab pleads guilty before Special Judge M L Tahaliyani.
Oct 9: US-Pakistani double-agent David Coleman Headley arrested in Chicago. He was one of those who recced locations/targets for the 26/11 attacks in 2007.
Nov 30: Kazmi removed as Kasab's lawyer.
Dec 1: Advocate K P Pawar takes over as Kasab's lawyer.
Dec 16: Prosecution completes its case.
Dec 18: Kasab denies all charges.
2010:
Feb 11: Prominent 26/11 lawyer Shahid Azmi shot dead.
Feb 22: Headley issue crops up in court for the first time.
Feb 23: Final arguments to begin from March 9.
Mar 31: Special Court fixes May 3 as date of judgement.
April 6: Then Home Minister R R Patil's sensational disclosure in Maharashtra legislature that the bodies of nine slain Pakistani terrorists were buried in January 2010 somewhere near Mumbai. He also warned that any future terrorists would meet a similar fate.
May 6: Kasab sentenced to death by 26/11 court.
June 8: Amin Solkar and Farhana Shah appointed lawyers for Kasab to appear in Bombay High Court.
Oct 18: Kasab's death sentence confirmation/his appeal commences in High Court.
Oct 19: Kasab's throws tantrums, says he wants to attend the court in person, spits at camera and says, "Send me to America"; judges warn him to behave.
Oct 25: High Court judges view CCTV footage purportedly showing Kasab and slain terrorist Abu Ismael in terror acts.
Oct 27: SPP Nikam justifies death sentence to Kasab by trial court.
Oct 29: Kasab confused trial court by frequent U-turns, argues Nikam.
Nov 19: Nikam tells court that 26/11 attackers wanted separate state for Muslims.
Nov 22: Kasab is a liar and plotter, argues Nikam.
Nov 23: High Court Judges again watch CCTV footage of Kasab and Ismael.
Nov 24: Nikam tells the High Court that the trial court had erred in partially accepting Kasab's confession.
Nov 25: Kasab's lawyer Amin Solkar says trial was unfair; demands retrial.
Nov 30: Solkar argues that charge of "waging war against nation" not made out against Kasab.
Dec 2: Kasab did not come from Pakistan by dinghy, his lawyer argues; says that the dinghy could not accommodate 10 persons.
2011:
Jan 17: Court reserves judgement till February 7.
Feb 7: Court sets February 21 as judgement date.
Feb 21: Bombay High Court upholds Kasab's death verdict.
March: Kasab writes to Supreme Court challenging HC order.
Oct 10: Supreme Court stays execution of Kasab's death sentence. Kasab claims to that he was "brainwashed"; did not deserve the death sentence as he was very young.
Oct 18: Supreme Court admits Maharashtra appeal challenging the acquittal of Kasab associates Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed.
2012:
Jan 31: Kasab contends in Supreme Court he was denied a free and fair trial.
Feb 23: Supreme Court views footage of Mumbai carnage, hears taped conversation of Kasab and his Pakistani handlers and among the 10 terrorists who carried out the attacks.
April 25: After a marathon hearing of nearly 10 weeks, Supreme Court reserves its verdict.
June 25: Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, an accused in 26/11 and other terror cases, deported to India from Saudi Arabia.
Aug 29: Supreme Court upholds High Court death sentence to Kasab.
Aug 29: Supreme Court upholds acquittal of Fahim and Sabahuddin.
Sept: Kasab, through Maharashtra government, moves a mercy plea to President.
Oct 16: Centre moves Supreme Court seeking rejection of Kasab's mercy petition.
Nov 5: President rejects Kasab's mercy plea.
Nov 8: Maharashtra informed of President's decision.
Nov 21: Kasab taken to Yerawada Central Jail, Pune, hanged in secret and buried somewhere in the jail complex in an operation scripted by State Home Minister R R Patil.
2013:
Jan 24: Headley sentenced to 35 years by a US Court, currently in jail.
2015:
Dec 10: Mumbai Special Court pardons Headley in return for turning approver and providing full conspiracy details of 26/11 attacks.
2016:
Feb 16: Headley deposes in Bombay High Court before SPP Ujjwal Nikam for the 26/11 trial by video-link from his jail cell. Evidence later submitted to Pakistan.
2018:
July 8: Headley survives an alleged attack on his life in US jail, but authorities refused to comment.
(NOTE: Dates not mentioned in two instances. This is because these actions were done in secrecy and officials later informed the media about them)