Mumbai: The special court hearing the 26/11 terror attack case today witnessed some heated moments with the judge venting his ire at the defence lawyer for his comment that he was "helping" the prosecution and said he would prefer to quit rather than be partial.
"You are alleging something very serious...I feel hurt. I am working hard on the case and sit late at night.... I will not tolerate allegations," judge ML Tahaliyani told lawyer Abbas Kazmi, who is defending Pakistani gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab.
Kazmi's comments came after the judge told prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam that forensic reports submitted to the court should be bifurcated -- one pertaining to bodies of victims in which bullets fired by Kasab were found and the other about bodies in which bullets were not found.
"What have I done... just clipped the chart given to me by prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam with forensic report filed by him. How can you say I am helping the prosecution....the day I realise that I am partial I will quit the post," an angry judge told Kazmi.
Nikam said the allegation was serious as the defence lawyer had questioned his competency by projecting before the court that the prosecution did not know legal principles and was being guided by the judge.
Kazmi then apologised, saying he had been misunderstood.


