The first trial in the Mumbai terrorist attacks was abruptly adjourned yesterday, only an hour after police pulled a large cloth off the head of the defendant to reveal the scruffy-bearded Pakistani who police say is the lone surviving gunman.

The presiding judge ordered the much-anticipated proceedings delayed after dismissing the defence lawyer for suspect Mohammed Ajmal Kasab for a conflict of interest.

Indian authorities have gone to great lengths to ensure that the trial proceeds swiftly, safely and fairly, but yesterday's proceedings suggest that Kasab, who could face the death penalty, will not be exempt from the notoriously slow wheels of Indian justice.

Compensation claim case

Trial judge M.L. Tahiliyani said legal aid lawyer Anjali Waghmare failed to disclose that she had agreed to represent a victim in a compensation claim case who is also a witness against Kasab.

Tahiliyani said he would appoint a new defense lawyer as soon as possible, but the development means the prosecutor likely won't deliver his opening remarks until tomorrow (Friday) at the earliest.

The trial had already been pushed back nine days, as police scrambled to put the finishing touches on a special, bomb-proof courtroom in the central Mumbai jail where Kasab is being held.

Kasab is charged with 12 criminal counts, including murder and waging war against India.

Different death tolls

In the aftermath of the violence - and even months later - different agencies have provided different death tolls. But the prosecutor's filing says Kasab and nine other gunmen, who were killed during the siege, are responsible for the deaths of 166 people and the injury of 304 more.

Court officials say they hope Kasab's case will be finished in six months to a year.

If they're right, it would be a record.