Mumbai lawyers decide against defending 7/11 blasts guilty

Mumbai, July 17 (UNI) Some criminal lawyers here have decided against representing the accused in the 7/11 serial blasts case if they are not fully satisfied about their innocence.

There, however, have been no arrests made so far in the serial blasts case.

The lawyers have, however, taken umbrage at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray who has reportedly warned them against taking up the case of the accused. Mr Thackeray reportedly issued the warning yesterday during a public meeting in Dadar.

''Why should Mr Thackeray dictate to us as to which case we should take up,'' senior criminal lawyer Ashok Sarogi asked.

But, he informed that some criminal lawyers had held a private meeting yesterday and decided that unless they were satisfied that the accused people arrested are innocent, they will not defend them.

Taking strong exception to Mr Thackeray's warning, Mr Sarogi told UNI, ''We are also citizens of this country. And, we are not accountable to him (Mr Thackeray). We are only answerable to the Bar Council.'' Among the senior criminal lawyers who have decided not to take up 7/11 blast accused cases unless satisfied that they were innocent are Ashok Mundargi, Nitin Pradhan, Shirish Gupte, Manjula Rao, and Subhash Jha.

Adv Pradhan also withdrew his name from representing the eighteen 1993-serial bomb-blast accused. He has already communicated to the TADA Court to allow him to withdraw his representation as the evidence to prove them guilty was presented and he did not believe in defending the guilty.

UNI XR-ARM MAZ AK BST1941