Mumbai (PTI): Ajmal Kasab on Wednesday said he was ready to be hanged and wants no mercy from the court after the prosecution said the lone surviving gunman in the Mumbai attack was trying to minimize his role to avoid death penalty and protect his handlers in Pakistan.

"Agar kisiko aitraaz hai...agar kisi ke dil mein shak hai ki main phansi se baachne ke liye yeh kar raha hoon toh beshak phansi ki saaza dijiye. (If anyone feels that I am confessing to escape the death penalty then the court may without doubt hang me)," Kasab(22) told special judge M L Tahilyani who adjourned to Thursday the Mumbai attack trial.

As the judge weighed the pros and cons of the unexpected confession made by the Pakistani national on Monday admitting to his involvement in the attack, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam picked holes in his statement refusing to accept it and said he was not telling the whole truth.

"Kasab is not telling the whole truth. He has cleverly minimised his role and has done it to get lesser punishment or save his handlers in Pakistan," Mr. Nikam argued.

Defence lawyer Abbas Kazmi alleged Kasab was mentally tortured in jail due to which he confessed. The Pakistani gunman, however, disagreed with his counsel and said, "Aisa koi masla nahi hai. (There is no such issue)."

Mr. Kazmi also said the court was open to ignoring Kasab's confession and that it must not delay its verdict if it accepts the statement.

Judge Tahilyani said the court had taken all precautions to ensure that the confession made was voluntary and without external influence.

Kasab told Judge Tahilyani that he had not made the confession seeking any mercy or to escape death penalty.

"Whatever I have done, I have done in this world. It would be better to be punished in this world. It would be better than God's punishment. That's why I have pleaded guilty," Kasab said, adding he was under no pressure to confess.

"If somebody thinks that I have confessed the crime to escape the death penalty, he should take it out of his mind," he said.

The prosecution had earlier sought the court to verify whether Kasab was aware of the consequences of his confession.

Judge Tahilyani he was "absolutely satisfied" that Kasab's statement had been made voluntarily and that he was aware of the consequences.

"He did not give a statement with a view to getting a lesser sentence," he said.

Mr. Nikam offered a dim view on Kasab's confession arguing that he had made only a partial and "half-hearted" admission, which did not cover all the charges.

"Very shrewdly, very cleverly Kasab has tried to save his own skin by showing he was acting as a subordinate to (slain terrorist) Abu Ismail," he said.

"He knows that by denying a major role, no Indian court is going to award the death penalty," he added.

"Kasab is very smart and intelligent to say that he be given the death penalty because no court will send him to the gallows if major role of his participation in the crime is discarded," Mr. Nikam said making light of Kasab"s "Hang me" bravado.

Mr. Nikam also told the court that there are several contradictions in the confession and the statement given by Kasab before a magistrate on February 18.

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