Went over the evidence thrice before Aarushi verdict: Judge

Speaking to Newsline at his home,Lal said,“It was not an open-and-shut case. I don’t want to go into the merits of the case as I have heard that the couple intend to appeal the judgment in the Allahabad High Court. However,everyone who said this was a simple case is wrong. I had to think a great deal,and had to go over the evidence,both oral and documentary,thrice to arrive at what I did.”

For two weeks,he worked late into the the night,studying precedents in other cases. “Every night,I would be awake till 2 am,with a pile of paperwork scattered around me. In a case of circumstantial evidence like this one,it was very important to determine what the law says. I had to study several Supreme Court cases in addition to the lengthy arguments and that took time,” he said.

Despite the intense media spotlight on the case,Lal said at no point did he feel any pressure. “There were several things that could have been distracting. But our job as judges is to cut out the noise,and concentrate on the evidence. Even on the day of sentencing,I was told that the waiting media was getting restless. But I decided to take my time. The matter of sentencing two people to life and death is not a laughing matter,” he said.

In a judicial career that spanned 27 years,Lal adjudicated high-profile cases such as the NRHM scandal,the Nithari killings and the case against Neera Yadav,former chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh. He intends to practice as a lawyer at the Allahabad High Court after his retirement.

Defence lawyer sends notice<\b>