The lone surviving gunman in the Mumbai attacks made a surprise confession at his trial July 20, saying he was recruited by a militant group inside Pakistan after he left a low-paying job and went looking for training to become a professional robber.

The confession by Ajmal Kasab, speaking in Hindi, bolstered India's charges that terrorist groups in neighboring Pakistan were behind the well-planned attack and that it is not doing enough to clamp down on them. The attack in which 166 people died severely strained relations and put the brakes on a peace process between the nuclear-armed enemies.

As the 66th day of Kasab's trial started, he stood up just as a prosecution witness was to take the stand, and addressed the judge.

"Sir, I plead guilty to my crime," said Kasab, 21, triggering a collective gasp in the courtroom.

Kasab, a Pakistani who had consistently denied a role in the November rampage, reversed himself without warning, shocking even his lawyer.

After a debate on the legality of such a confession, Kasab's statement was recorded and the judge said he would have Kasab sign each page of the document, which would be reviewed by his lawyer, formally reversing his plea from innocent to guilty.