By TCN News,
Mumbai: Thousands of people gathered after Friday prayer yesterday at Taximen’s Colony in Kurla (West), Mumbai to take part in the funeral procession of Advocate Shahid Azmi. He was in Kurla crematorium in the presence of relatives and thousands of mourners wearing black armband to show their sorrow and anger.
Adv Azmi was murdered by unknown persons in his office in the same area on Thursday. He was defence lawyer for 26/11 accused Fahim Ansari. Ansari’s wife was also present in the funeral procession. Adv Azmi was also defending accused in some sensitive cases like 7/11 Mumbai train bombings and November 2006 Malegaon blasts. In total he was defending about 50 Muslim terror suspects.
Sensing the anger of people against the establishment over the murder, the police had tightened security in the area and thrown a tight security cover around the funeral procession. Police vans and CRPF personnel were escorting and following the procession. DCP, ACP and other senior police officers were present in the procession.
According to media reports no Muslim politician except for Samajwadi Party Maharashtra president Abu Asim Azmi, who is Adv Azmi’s relative, came forward to offer condolences.
However, the lawyer fraternity is shocked at Azmi’s murder. “By killing Azmi the attackers are saying don’t take such cases,” Anand Teltumbde, member of Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights, has been quoted as saying.