Need to discuss safety of terror case lawyers: bar

“There have been several instances where lawyers were intimidated and,in a few cases,attacks on the lawyers who took up blasts and underworld cases.”

Similar meetings are planned in lower courts’ bar association too.

Azmi,32,was defending one of the 26/11 accused,Fahim Ansari. He was shot dead by four persons from point-blank range in his office in Taximen’s Colony,Kurla,on Thursday night. While police had initially hinted at the possible hand of the underworld,the lawyer’s fraternity feels a judicial probe is essential.

“Shahid was very passionate about justice,and used the law courts to seek redress of injustice of any kind. His active role in the civil liberties movement has come to an abrupt end. His death needs to be probed in and we have decided to press for an judicial inquiry,” said advocate Susan Gonsalves of the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights.

Azmi,who in his mid-teens witnessed the 1992-93 anti-Muslim carnage in Mumbai,had left the city then. On his return,he was arrested for the attempted assassination of a political leader. After spending five years in jail,he was convicted under the TADA Act but acquitted by the Supreme Court. After pursuing law,Azmi began taking up cases pertaining to blasts.

He was also the petitioner in the Supreme Court challenging imposition of MCOCA in the 7/11 serial blasts case. He filed the petition on behalf of Ehtesham Siddiqui,one of the prime accused. He defended some of the accused in the May 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case and the September 2006 Malegaon blast case,too. Azmi also represented Fehmida Ansari in the Gateway and Zaveri Bazar blasts case of 2005. Fehmida was recently given the death sentence.