Shun Baig case,BJP & Sena warn advocate

Each time the front bell rings,Geeta Mancharkar herself opens the door of their second-floor flat. And that too...

Each time the front bell rings,Geeta Mancharkar herself opens the door of their second-floor flat. And that too,just a little. She opens the wooden door fully only after being convinced that there are no trouble makers. The grill door is opened only after a small conversation. The Mancharkars,living in Nehrunagar area of Pimpri-Chinchwad,are understandably terrified after advocate Sushil Mancharkar declared his intention to take up the case of Himayat Mirza Baig the main accused in the German Bakery blast case.

Mancharkars phone has not stopped ringing ever since The Indian Express highlighted his views debunking the Pune Bar Association appeal not to take up the case. The calls include requests,appeals and even warnings from various quarters to shun the case. The advocate,however,remains unfazed. The pressure on me from political parties to stay away from the case is huge. Actually,the case hasnt come to me so far. People are jumping the gun unnecessarily. I will let the world know when Baigs family approaches me.

The BJP,led by local unit president Eknath Pawar,held a demonstration outside his residence on Sunday morning. While Mancharkar refused to meet them,the protesters asked the family to prevent him from taking up the case. Pawar later told this paper that Mancharkar would be in serious trouble if he took up Baigs case.

It was then the turn of the Shiv Sena,led by district leader Neelam Gorhe,to call on Mancharkar. He should not take up the case of an anti-national. When a prominent lawyer argues such cases,the culprits get away because the government pleaders are found wanting… let there be a dialogue on the constitutional rights of an accused,but prominent lawyers should not defend perpetrators of heinous crime.

Though Gorhe sounded soft,the youth wing of the Sena has decided to tackle the issue in its own style. We will prevent him from going to the court and taking up the case of the man who killed 17 people. If he still refuses to budge,he will find himself in trouble, its city vice-president Sarang Kamthekar said.

Mancharkar said nobody had the right to prevent him from going to the court. I am sure the police will deal with such people… Since morning,people from various quarters and even a section of the media want me to give a statement withdrawing from the case,which is still not mine. Nobody can cow me down. I will do everything possible to uphold the law of the land. He said several lawyers would join a demonstration in Shivajinagar on Monday in protest against the political pressure on him.

Though the family has not sought any police protection,two vans with nearly 100 policemen have been posted outside their building. I fear for the safety of my husband, says Geeta. But Pooja Mancharkar,an engineering student,says,My father should do whatever is necessary to uphold the Constitution.

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City lawyer Harshad Nimbalkar said,The bar association had appealed on moral grounds to lawyers and had not passed any resolution. There is no provision under Advocates Act for a lawyer to refuse a brief. If Mancharkar takes up the case,it is for the association to decide. But,it will be premature to comment.

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