I love new challenges,says Kasab’s new lawyer

Asked what would be his strategy to defend Qasab,Abbas told reporters,”I have yet to go through the chargesheet and documents.”

To a query whether he would seek security like earlier lawyer Anjali Waghmare had,Abbas said,”Surely,I will ask for police protection.”

He said he had not defended any Pakistani national in his earlier cases. “I have no idea whether Qasab is a Pakistani. I have to go through the chargesheet,” he said.

The 54-year-old lawyer,who obtained law degree from KC College in 1980 said he had defended a UK national in a child abuse case in Goa.

He has defended 25 to 30 accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case. Abbas has also defended three accused in the Gulshan Kumar murder case who were ultimately acquitted by the court.

Kasab gets new lawyer

Mumbai attacks accused Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab got a new lawyer,S G Abbas Kazmi,who has defended several accused in the 1993 bomb blasts case.

Special sessions judge M L Tahilyani appointed Kazmi,a lawyer of 20 years standing,to defend Kasab after the court was informed that there has been no response from Pakistan authorities to Kasab’s request for a Pakistani lawyer.

“He is your lawyer,” the judge told Kasab pointing at Kazmi,who said he was ready to defend him. Kasab then smiled at his new lawyer.

Kasab had requested for a Pakistani lawyer after the judge removed Anjali Waghmare as his counsel on a complaint of professional misconduct.

Special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam informed the court that Kasab’s request for a Pakistani lawyer has been forwarded yesterday to the joint secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) through a fax message.

However,there has been no response from the Pakistan side so far,he said.

The judge while appointing Kazmi,requested the government to fix reasonable fee to be paid to him for defending Kasab.

He ordered for a copy of the chargesheet to be given to Kazmi. The court also allowed advocate K P Pawar to assist Kazmi in defending Kasab.