And justice for all

December 6, 1992. March 12, 1993. The first when the Babri Masjid was demolished, the second when synchronised bombings across Mumbai killed more than 250 people. Two days that marked a turning point of sorts for India, and also for Farhana Shah, the newbie lawyer, who found herself catapulted into the spotlight as the only woman representing the accused in the Mumbai blasts case.Both days — seared into the history of the nation for the long-term implications still being felt — began as any other for Farhana as they did for millions of others. On that December 6, she was at a party in Bandra and was hurriedly escorted to her home in Dongri as news spread of the demolition. For 15 days and more, Farhana was to stay in her house as curfew was imposed.On March 12, 1993, she was preparing to go for another party. Instead, she found herself at the Bombay Stock Exchange, one of the sites struck by the explosions. The first thought to cross her mind was: had the demolition been prevented, the bombings would not have taken place.It had been only two years since she had completed her law studies. But Farhana, who had fought her father to continue her studies, got the opportunity to be a part of the headline grabbing trial as a lawyer for the accused.It was a wonderful break for a young lawyer, one that had come after overcoming many barriers.Born Farhana Moldeina, she was the eldest sibling with two younger brothers. She wanted to study further but found that her father was against her going to college. She finally persuaded him and got admission in the girls-only Sophia Polytechnic. Law was not out of choice but compulsion too, and she joined Siddharth College because it was closer to home.It was tough. Farhana, now 45 and a widowed mother of two, could not ask her father for help and worked as a receptionist at an export-cum-attar shop. She would attend class from 7.30 am to 10.30 am and then go to work. Besides, she also did odd jobs such as mehendi drawing and tailoring to ensure regular money.Though her senior in the Bombay High Court, T.H. Sardar, who was handling the cases of the 1993 blast accused introduced her to the high profile matter, it was TADA judge J.N. Patel who got Farhana her first independent case."It was difficult to appear for the blast accused as people, including our fraternity members, would talk badly about us," she remembers.Her first client was Janu Kamlya Wedkoli, a fisherman, who had helped in disposing of empty boxes in which RDX was ferried. He was later discharged by the CBI and deposed as a witness. Farhana's success in this case ensured representation of 80 more accused in the bomb blast case up to the Supreme Court — the maximum anyone has represented in one case."In the initial days" she says, "I was skeptical and did not speak much to the accused. My image of a criminal was from the Bollywood films that he is a bad man and thus I kept a safe distance from them even while taking instructions."Over the years, however, the bonding grew and Farhana aapa (elder sister) became quite the favourite.Her 14-year relentless commitment towards the case came from the belief that the accused were innocent and brainwashed or acted spontaneously in the aftermath of the riots that followed the demolition."So many accused did not even have a non cognizable offence (NC) registered against them. They came from a background in which I had been brought up — poor, strong family values — so there was an instant connect with many of them."Although the case has now got her recognition, the costs have been steep — personal and professional. Her professional life suffered because the case dragged on for so long.Farhana lives in a small house, while colleagues, who did not limit themselves to one case, have swanky offices and palatial homes. As for Shah, she has a scooter that belongs to her late husband. But there is no bitterness. "It is the goodwill and blessings of my clients and their elders that is more than enough. Money, of course, is necessary but these things are priority for me.Like many other women, she has made many sacrifices for her family. Farhana barely took any time off after her children, Ayesha and Umar, were born. There was little mommy time during their growing up years as well, but her husband, Dr Afzal Hussein, was the perfect partner and made sure he was around.In 2010, Hussein passed away from multiple illnesses. "When the Supreme Court commuted the death sentences of 11 death row blast convicts and praised my legal acumen, I missed my husband and father the most. It was their dream to see me appear in the country's apex court and earn a lot of appreciation," she says.Her reputation got her several cases. In 2010, for instance, she was appointed by the court as one of the two lawyers to represent 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab. The honours have been many, including from her alma mater Siddharth College of Commerce and Economics. But what matters for the truly multi-faceted woman, who has also learnt rifle shooting, is her commitment to her work.