Kasab's lawyer seeks to withdraw citing client's lack of faith

The lawyer of November 26 terror strikes accused Mohammed Ajmal Kasab today said he would like to withdraw from the case as his client has no confidence in him.  

"Sir, I feel I should withdraw at this stage. He (Kasab) does not take me into confidence and I will recuse myself," Abbas Kazmi told special judge M L Tahaliyani after the court accepted Kasab's plea of guilt.  

The judge then explained to Kasab in Hindi that his lawyer has gained an impression that you have no confidence in him and hence wants to withdraw.  

"Maine aise kuch nahin kaha hai (I have not said anything like that)," Kasab said.  

The court then told Kasab to speak with his lawyer and clear any misunderstandings between them.  

"It appears he has certain misunderstandings. Your duty is to clear it and I do not think it is a big issue," the court said.  

The court instructed Kasab to meet with his lawyer. The judge also told Kazmi, "I have appointed you as Kasab's lawyer and will not easily allow you to take this extreme step.I will give one chance for Kasab to talk to you and clear all doubts in your mind."

Kazmi had been appointed by the court to represent Kasab after it could not find a lawyer in the state legal aid cell.

The special public prosecutor said that with the court accepting Kasab's guilt plea on record today, his lawyer could have felt frustrated and so thought about retiring from the case.  
Kazmi, who did not leave the court premises in the high security Arthur Road jail in central Mumbai after proceedings began this morning, was unavailable for comment.  

The prosecutor said that the defence advocate's claim that his client had not consulted with him prior to his dramatic admission of guilt before the court was incorrect.        

"Before admitting his guilt Kasab had sought to consult with his lawyer and only after that had admitted his guilt," Nikam said.         Kazmi could have sought time from the court to consult with his client to confer with him but did not do so, he said, adding the defence counsel had withdrawn only after the court's order on taking Kasab's admission of guilt on record.