Mumbai lawyer drops plans to defend nabbed terrorist

MUMBAI: Noted criminal lawyer Ashok Saraogi Monday said he had dropped plans to represent and defend nabbed Mumbai attack terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab.
 
Grappling with an outburst against his reported plans, Saraogi said that he would not represent or fight Amir's case "in view of the strong public sentiments".
 
"There was some initial discussion in this matter, but now I am bowing before public sentiments and I shall not take up this particular case," Saraogi told IANS Monday.
 
Amir was the only terrorist nabbed alive early Nov 27 morning, while nine gunmen were killed in the security operation, after they struck Mumbai on the night of Nov 26.

Mumbai lawyers have unanimously decided against taking up Amir's case. Last week, a magistrate remanded Amir to police custody till Dec 24.
 
Dinesh Mota, a city lawyer appointed by the Maharashtra Legal Aid Cell to represent Amir in the court, had also declined to fight the case.
 
After this, Kasab Saturday wrote to Pakistani authorities seeking their intervention in the matter and to provide him legal assistance to fight the case, according to Mumbai Police, which forwarded his letter to the central government for appropriate action.