In a crucial testimony, the FBI today told a special court trying the Mumbai terror attack case that Global Positioning System (GPS) devices used by terrorists had indicated that they had come from Karachi.
Deposing in person before Judge M L Tahaliyani, a forensic expert of the US' Federal Bureau of Investigation, whose identity has been kept secret, said that he had examined five GPS devices and a satellite phone which Mumbai police had recovered from the terrorists.
The forensic expert said that "Way Point" retrieved from the GPS devices reflected the route from Karachi to Mumbai and also positions between these two cities.
The witness said that out of the five GPSes, two were not functioning because the battery was depleted and hence the data could not be retrieved from them. The other three GPS devices had clearly showed the route between these two cities.
The witness gave hard and soft copies of the data report submitted by him to the Mumbai police earlier.
The expert said he had examined these devices on February 11 and completed the examination by February 18.
He said Mumbai police had sent the devices in the sealed cover to the FBI.
GPS device automatically record the return trip, the witness said.
Ajmal Kasab, the only Pakistani terrorist arrested during the November attacks, sat smiling all the while during the deposition.
After the examination, the devices were again put in a packet and sealed under his signature, the FBI expert said.
In the court, the witness identified the devices and also his signature. The GPS devices were seized from sites targeted by the terrorists, including Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels and M V Kuber vessel which they had hijacked to travel to Mumbai.
The witness said the data from the satellite phone showed two received calls and one missed call. Some had tried to contact but the satellite phone had not responded.
