Qasab lawyer to stay on after threatening to withdraw

Days after the dramatic confession by 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Ajmal Qasab in court, his lawyer Abbas Kazmi on thursday sought to withdraw from the case, saying his client did not have any confidence in him but changed his mind after the judge asked him to clear any misunderstandings with Qasab.

"Sir, I feel I should withdraw at this stage. He (Qasab) does not take me into confidence and I will recuse myself," Kazmi told special judge M L Tahaliyani soon after the court said that it would be taking Qasab's admission of guilt on record and the trial would continue.

The judge then explained to Qasab in Hindi that his lawyer has gained an impression that he had no confidence in him and hence wants to withdraw.

"Maine aise kuch nahin kaha hai (I have not said anything like that)," Qasab said. Following this the court directed Qasab to speak with his lawyer and clear any misunderstandings between them.

"I have appointed you as Qasab's lawyer and will not easily allow you to take this extreme step. I will give one chance for Qasab to talk to you and clear all doubts in your mind," Tahaliyani told Kazmi.

Kazmi had been appointed by the court to represent Qasab after it could not find a lawyer in the state legal aid cell.

"The matter is now settled. Kazmi will continue to represent Kasab," special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.

The special public prosecutor said that with the court accepting Qasab's guilt plea on record on Thursday, his lawyer could have felt frustrated and so thought about retiring from the case.

Kazmi, who did not leave the court premises in the high security Arthur Road jail in central Mumbai after proceedings began this morning, was unavailable for comment.

The prosecutor said that the defence advocate's claim that his client had not consulted with him prior to his dramatic admission of guilt before the court was incorrect.

"Before admitting his guilt Qasab had sought to consult with his lawyer and only after that had admitted his guilt," Nikam said.

Kazmi could have sought time from the court to consult with his client to confer with him but did not do so, he said, adding the defence counsel had withdrawn only after the court's order on taking Qasab's admission of guilt on record.