Pune lawyers flay Adv Rahman for defending German Bakery blast accused

Loud protests were made by members of Pune Bar Association immediately after the magisterial hearing in the German bakery blast case, denouncing defence counsel A Rahman for taking the brief to represent Himayat Baig, one of the accused in the case.

Appearing on behalf of Baig, and ignoring the appeal issued by the bar association not to represent him in view of "anti-national" nature of the crime, Rahman told the magistrate S Bose that while he "respected" the Bar appeal, the accused had a right to defend himself under the law.

Advocate Milind Pawar, president of the bar association, told the court that it was an "appeal" to fraternity members on moral grounds as the case dealt with a terror attack in the city.

The defence counsel opposed the prosecution plea for extension of police remand of Baig, urging magistrate's custody for the accused who, he claimed, was picked up by police without any evidence of his links with LeT and IM. 

The judge ordered extension of Baig's police custody till September 28.

After the hearing at which Baig was brought with his face covered by ATS investigating officer, a group of lawyers raised slogan " Bharat Mati ki Jai" and booed Rahman for representing the accused. 

On Sunday, some activists of local BJP unit and Shiv Sena had shouted slogans against another lawyer Sushil Mancharkar, who had expressed his readiness to represent the blast accused.