PTI
 
Mumbai, Dec 1: Abbas Kazmi, who was sacked as the lawyer of Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab by a special trial court, on Tuesday alleged that he had to face humiliation at the hands of prosecution during the trial.

"I was called a terrorist lawyer in the court. I was called Abu Abbas and it was said that Pakistan was going to reward me. Finally I was called a liar," Kazmi told reporters a day after his removal.

He alleged that on one occasion when the court was recording the testimony of FBI official, prosecutor Nikam said, "Now the terrorist lawyer will cross-examine you."

Kazmi, however, refused to comment on the court's decision.

"I do not want to create any obstructions for the trial. I do not want to say anything that will obstruct the trial. The matter is sub judice. I have a great respect for the court," Kazmi said.

When asked whether he was going to take any legal step against his removal from the trial, he said, "I don't want to pursue this issue further."

When asked whether prosecution was trying to drag the trial, Kazmi said, "People were told that trial will be over by November 26. It was called an open and shut case. Why prosecution did not tell people it was going to bring around 700 witnesses?"

Kazmi also said that the kind of humiliation the lawyers suffered during the trial was unprecedented.

"Initially we had to remove our cell phones (when entering court), we had to remove even our shoes. I was not allowed to take my briefcase inside. We were frisked thrice every time," he said.

He said once he saw prosecutor Nikam using phone in court and requested the court that he too be allowed to bring cell phone in.

"The judge allowed it, but next day when I tried to carry cell phone inside, security misbehaved with me," he said.

"When I took up this case, I faced hostility of the entire world. And now this is the reward," he rued. Kazmi said he told Nikam that he didn't mind apologising to court, but the "liar" remark must be removed.

Judge M L Tahaliyani had Kazmi a "liar", but the remark was later expunged, following Nikam's intervention and his (Kazmi) apology.

It had seemed that after Kazmi's apology on Saturday, he would carry on as Kasab's lawyer. However, the judge sacked him yesterday for "non-cooperation".

Tahaliyani ordered Kazmi's termination after he refused to consider the court's suggestion to pick out 71 formal witnesses out of the total 340 who had filed affidavits.

Advocate K P Pawar, who was assisting Kazmi in the case, has now replaced the latter as Kasab's lawyer.