Mumbai court debars lawyer Waghmare to defend Ajmal Kasab

The trial in the Mumbai terror attacks case could not begin on Wednesday as a special court in Mumbai revoked its order appointing advocate Anjali Waghmare to defend the lone surviving militant, Mohammed Amir Ajmal Kasab. Judge M L Tahilyani directed that Waghmare will not represent Kasab as she had not disclosed to the court that she had already been appointed by Bombay High Court legal aid cell to appear for a witness in the same case who was allegedly injured by Kasab and his team on the day of attack at Cama Hospital. This witness is seeking compensation from the government and had approached legal aid cell to help him find a lawyer. "I feel you should have disclosed to the court that you had already been appointed by the legal aid cell to appear for the witness in this case," the judge told Waghmare. The court noted that there was enough opportunity for Waghmare to disclose to the court about the development as she was not appointed "abruptly". "I had meetings with lawyers and legal aid cell panel members including Waghmare who had shown interest to defend Kasab". "Obviously, the interest of witness and accused will clash with each other. The order passed by the court is vitiated to some extent for non-disclosure of facts and there is no option but to revoke it immediately," the judge said. The court, however, retained K P Pawar who was appointed along with Waghmare to defend Kasab. Another lawyer would be appointed by the court to replace Waghmare.

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