By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: On the eve of Adv.Shahid Azmi’s second death anniversary, Out of Court Settlement, a documentary illustrating the life threatening conditions faced by the Indian defence lawyers appearing in terror related cases is released on Saturday in Mumbai.
Shubhradeep Chakravorty, the writer, director of the film said that recently Shahid Azmi in Mumbai and Naushad Kashimiji in Mangalore are killed and many lawyers were intimidated. He claimed, “Documentary tries to find out, whether Indian establishment were the master mind behind these killings.”
L-R: Adv.Yusuf Muchala, Adv.Mukul Sinha, Adv. Neerija Sinha, Shubhradeep Chakravorty
He told that the documentary also investigates these killings in the light of several incident of beating and intimidation of defence lawyers around the country and tries to evaluate the state of Indian Legal system and its systemic capability to deliver justice to the minorities.
Social activists and lawyer from Gujarat Adv.Mukul Sinha appreciated the efforts of Shubhradeep Chakravorty and complained, “Silence of the majority community in these matters is dangerous and the secularism of our country is at stake.”
He said, “Our constitution guarantees every one, a right to defend and even provide a government lawyer if the accused can’t afford to have one.”
Claiming the intimidation and killings of defence lawyers as criminal contempt of court, Senior Adv. Of Supreme Court said, “All these stories must be brought in public domain and a sensation against these criminal activities must disseminated.”
He also complained that due to these attacks there is a dearth of young lawyers taking up such cases and urged youngster to come forward.
Referring to an emotional incident while interviewing Rehana Azmi, the mother of Adv.Shahid Azmi, Shubhradeep said,“ After the murder of Shahid, Rehana Azmi allowed Adv.Khalid Azmi, another lawyer and younger brother of Shahid to join the fight because according to her Allah demands to sacrifice the best and not to get threatened in fight against injustice.”
Shubhradeep also referred to the statement of Senior and famous lawyer Adv.Ram Jethmalani, who said that without a defence lawyer the case will never begin and the there will not be punishment to the guilty.
Going by the statement Shubhradeep said, “This way, by killing and intimidating defence lawyer people are helping terrorists.”
The documentary also ends with the quote of Adv.Nusrat Kashimji, Widow of slain Naushad Kashimji, who said, “There should not be an end to this, and if one has gone there are many hundreds and thousands who would be coming up.”