Abbas Kazmi’s assistant K P Pawar, who will now defend Ajmal Kasab, was once a civic official who quit the BMC to practice law. He now has 12 years’ legal experience.

“I will shoulder my responsibility ably,” Pawar said, soon after being appointed.

In April, Judge M L Tahaliyani had appointed Pawar along with lawyer Anjali Waghmare from the state legal aid panel to defend Kasab. However, Waghmare was sacked on charges of professional misconduct . Kazmi, a private lawyer, was appointed in his place and Pawar was told to assist him.

Pawar, 55, who lives at Nerul in Navi Mumbai, quit the BMC in 1997 and was enrolled on the panel of legal aid lawyers. That was a year after Waghmare did, so he was her junior. On Monday, the judge said, “Mr Pawar, now you are a senior lawyer, get used to speaking on the mike,” the judge said.

Later, when the media asked him about the facilities involved, Pawar said, “As per the order, all privileges enjoyed by Kazmi will now come to me, like security, a police jeep and of course Rs 2,500 per day as legal fees. Now I don’t have to travel by train.”

Pawar will now be given Z-category security. The police jeep will take him till Navi Mumbai check naka, from where the Navi Mumbai police will arrange for security till his home. Armed personnel will be with him round-the-clock.

Until today, Pawar has never been in the limelight. Most of his cases had come his way from the legal aid panel.

... contd.