'Not Maam, they now call out, oye, idhar aa, Anjali'

Ajmal Qasab's former lawyer Anjali Waghmare talks about the ouster and the appointment of Abbas Kazmi (which she says was planned) to Varun Singh

Ajmal Qasab's former lawyer Anjali Waghmare talksu00a0 about the ouster and the appointment of Abbas Kazmi (which she says was planned) to Varun Singh

Has life changed after the dismissal?
Yes. Everyone treated me with respect when I was appointed Ajmal Qasab's lawyer. They always prefixed

Wagh nakh out: Anjali Waghmare was ousted over professional misconduct

madam to my name. But now the very same people call out, 'Oye, Anjali; Waghmare idhar aa'. It hurts badly. I was made a celebrity when I never wanted to be one and now in a single stroke, it's ended. I am very depressed and so is my family. Had they told me they don't want me to continue, I would have stepped down on my own. I had made it clear at the outset that I am a policeman's wife, but nobody objected and instead encouraged me to take up the case. But I still respect the court and have full faith in the judiciary.

Your name is now synonymous with 'professional misconduct'.
Where is the question of professional misconduct? How can they question my integrity and honesty? People criticising me don't know the truth and they have judged me entirely on heresay. And frankly, why aren't they being punished for refusing to defend Qasab? You see, everything was planned.

What do you mean?
Exactly what I said. It was all planned. Qasab's new lawyer [Abbas Kazmi] was present in court on the first day of the trial. Why? He wasn't needed there! The next thing we know is he has been appointed the defense lawyer. Another lawyer who wanted to represent Qasab but didn't, accused me of professional misconduct. Fact is, he always wanted to stymie my case.

New lawyer says
But Abbas Kazmi, Qasab's lawyer refuted Waghmare's claims and said, "Nothing was planned. I have been associated with the 1993 blasts, the trial for which was held at Arthur Road jail. I was present on Day 1 of Qasab's trial because I wanted to see the proceedings of the case."

'Don't giggle and chat in court'
'Behave yourself'. Those are the first words of advice lawyer Abbas Kazmi had for his latest client, Mohd Ajmal Qasab. Kazmi met the terrorist for the first time after court proceedings yesterday.

Kazmi first introduced himself to Qasab saying, 'I am your lawyer and I will fight for you,' and soon proceeded to give him tips on how to behave in court.

Kazmi told MiD DAY, "I was present in court on the first day and had noticed his behaviour. I told him, 'Court mein aise hasna aur baat karna achchhi baat nahin hai'."

He said he also tried to explain to the terrorist the gravity of the case, as "it is a matter of his life and death".
Kazmi admitted that he was scared of being the target of protests, but added, "I have taken this case for professional responsibility. If a lawyer is not appointed, this trial cannot start. If people have problems, they have to go and change the Constitution."u00a0

- Ketan Ranga