By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net
Well known for the terror related cases mostly of Muslims, for which he was killed, Adv. Shahid had another side to his life and practice. Dhanna Parshuram Kotekar, a widow in her sixties, remembers him, on his first death anniversary, with pain and with tears in her eyes as “Bhagwan ka Avtar.”
Dhanna, who lives in a slum of Kranti Nagar, Kurla told that her son Hemant was arrested by the Kurla police in a murder case and charged him under article 302, although according to her it was an incidental death happened due to infighting between her son Hemant and the victim.
Dhanekar Parshuram Kotekar- remembering Shahid azmi for his support
She said, “I am a widow and approached many lawyers and sold everything for their fees but at the end lawyers replied that they will not be able to save my son Hemant.”
Then she came to know about Advocate Shahid Azmi and approached him with empty hand. She recalled, “Shahid happily agreed to fight our case free of cost and got my son discharged from the case in 2006.”
She further said that during the fighting of the case Dhanna and her daughter Archana used to meet him and thus he came to know about their plight. They did not have a penny to buy meal. She recalled, “He came to our home, which is nearly a 70 sq.feet, sat down and said that he is also my son like Hemant and started helping us financially every month.”
She remembered that a month before his killing he came to meet us and gave some cash. She remembers her feelings when heard about his killing. She said, “I was shocked and could not understand that why anyone would kill a gentle person like my son. Our family felt orphaned again but his younger brother Advocate Khalid Azmi came to our rescue and pledged the same support as of his elder brother.” She said, “Now my other son Khalid is our son, May Bhagwan takes good care of him.”
Office of slain Advocate Shahid Azmi on his first death anniversary
Rehana Azmi, mother of Shahid Azmi is also a widow whose husband died years ago. She is a religious woman and always quotes Quran and Ahadith while she talks. She said, “I am proud of my son and just want that justice has to be done with him. His killers must be hanged.”
Answering who might have killed his son she said, “Those who killed Hemant Karkare are the killer of my son.”
When asked if she is not afraid after the killing of Shahid and why she allowed her youngest son Khalid Azmi to join the same profession. She replied, “ I fear that when I will meet my creator Allah, he will ask me if I got frightened after the killing of my son, and why I did not allow my other son to persuade and help other poor and needy.”
She further replied, “Allah will take care of my son Khalid.”
Shahid Azmi was shot dead
After getting many threatening calls from criminals he was not provided with security by the Maharashtra Government and finally on February 11, 2010, Criminal lawyer Advocate Shahid Azmi, known for high profile and terror related cases, was shot dead by 3 criminals in his office at Taximan colony, Kurla, a central suburb of Mumbai.
Advocate Shahid Azmi Murder case
The latest sad side of his killing is the removal of MCOCA charges by the special MCOCA court against the killers who were alleged by the Mumbai Crime Branch as the contract killers. Crime Branch also alleged that underworld don Bharat Nepali, who poses himself as Nationalist had given contract for the killing of Shahid Azmi.
Khalid Azmi is planning to file the petition in the high court against the removal of MCOCA.
Files of cases that Shahid Azmi was fighting
High profile cases
He was handling several high-profile cases like the 26/11 attacks, the 7/11 train blasts, the Malegaon 2006 blasts, the Aurangabad arms seizure, the Ajit Dewani murder case, the 2002 Ghatkopar blasts case, the 2003 Mulund blasts and the recent Haj House imam case among others.
He secured acquittals in the Ghatkopar Bus blast case, 26/11 attack case, Haj House Imam Case for people falsely implicated by police.