New Delhi - The lone gunman captured during the Mumbai terrorist attacks told an Indian court Monday that he was from Pakistan and sought legal assistance from state authorities, news reports said.

In February, police formally filed charges against Ajmal Amir Kasab under sections of the Indian Penal Code including "murder and waging war" against India.

On Monday, the trial began by video conference at a special court in Arthur Road Jail in central Mumbai where Kasab has been kept under heavy security, the IANS news agency reported.

Appearing before special judge ML Tahilyani, Kasab admitted that he hailed from the village Faridkot in Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab and said he was agreeable to a government-appointed lawyer representing him, the report said.

Kasab, allegedly a member of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization, was part of the 10-member group that reached Mumbai by sea and laid siege for three days beginning November 26.

Kasab was arrested hours after the assault began and has been in police custody since. More than 170 people including 26 foreign nationals were killed during the attack.

Two Indian operatives of the LeT, Faheem Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed, were also present before the special judge through the video link.

Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told IANS that Monday marked the formal opening of the trial but the trial on a day-to-day basis would be held only in three weeks.

The attacks on Mumbai have soured India's relations with Pakistan with New Delhi blaming its neighbour of not moving against anti-India militant groups operating from its soil.

The Indian government recently said it had "overwhelming evidence" that official agencies of Pakistan were behind the assault.

The Indian police has filed a 11,000 page charge-sheet against 38 people including Kasab, Ansari and Ahmed in connection with the attacks. A total of 2,202 witnesses have been identified.

The charges allege key planners of the assaults included Pakistan-based LeT leaders Hafeez Sayyid, Fahim Ansari, Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah.

These men were located in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir and have been listed in the charge-sheet as "wanted absconders," police said. (dpa)