The perpetrators of last year’s gruesome terror strikes on the city wanted their hitmen to try and negotiate with Indian authorities and press for demands like the implementation of the Sachchar Committee report, freeing of all prisoners belonging to a minority community and the construction of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya.

This was revealed when the prosecution in the 26/11 trial played compact discs (CDs) of intercepted conversations between the slain terrorists holed up inside Nariman House and their Pakistani handlers. The conversation was recorded on November 27, the second day of the attack.

The prosecution played four hours and 28 minutes of intercepted conversation between the handlers and attackers at Nariman House.

The terrorists, who identified themselves as members of Hyderabad-based Deccan Mujahideen, were told to contact the electronic media in India and warn the government that the 26/11 attacks were only the beginning.

“Unko bolo yeh to hamara trailer hai, asal film abhi baki hai (Tell them this is just the trailer. The film is yet to come),” a handler was heard telling slain terrorist Imran Babar.

The conversation also revealed that the handler dictated eight specific demands to Babar, who was killed by commandos of the National Security Guards the next day. The demands included “immediate restoration of legible rights of the Kashmiri population and handing over the state to the native majority community”.

A conversation between the attackers and an official – identified only as Levy — from the Israeli Embassy in Washington was also played in the special court.

Judge M L Tahiliyani was, however, skeptical about the admissibility of these conversations as evidence. “I don’t mind playing the CDs but what is the use of it, unless you examine Levy,” said Tahiliyani. Special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said he would consider calling the Israeli official.