Verdict: special court to finalise schedule on July 27

The State Brief defence counsel in the Coimbatore serial blast case staging a demonstration outside the court on Friday.The judge of the Special Court for Bomb Blast Cases, K. Uthirapathy, on Friday took up the criminal miscellaneous petitions filed by the undertrials in the Coimbatore Serial Blasts case.On July 27, the court will discuss with the prosecution, defence counsel and undertrials the modalities and schedule for commencing the pronouncement of the verdict (either at one go or in batches) on August 1.

The serial blasts of February 14, 1998 left more than 50 dead and over 250 injured. Even as the court started functioning on Friday, the State Brief counsel, led by Bhavani B Mohan, staged a demonstration outside the court premises demanding settlement of their fee arrears pending from February to April and demanded the withdrawal of the Government Order MS no 480 (dated April 19, 2007) that had revised their professional fee.They contended that the order “amounted to interference with the judicial process.”The GO is in response to a petition by two lawyers demanding fixing of fee for junior lawyers and associate lawyers appearing on behalf of or for assisting the counsel.

The agitating lawyers said that the order revising the fee with retrospective effect from June 3, 2003 after the completion of the trial was unwarranted. The fee was originally fixed based on the orders of the First Division Bench of the Madras High Court while disposing of a writ petition on the issue. Hence, any alteration or amendment to that would amount to contempt.The defence lawyer, M.H. Abdul Rahman, alleged that the new order contravened its earlier order and violated the orders of the First Division Bench of the High Court.The lawyers opposed the orders of the Special Court asking them to return the excess fee paid to them since June 3, 2003 till date.

“We are keen to have the pronouncement of the verdict as scheduled on August 1,” defence lawyer Mohammed Abubacker said. In the absence of any solution from the High Court or Government, they said that they would decide on the boycott of the court on July 27 and on initiating contempt proceedings.Official sources said that the agitation by the counsel was in connection with an issue with the High Court and the State Government. The issue had nothing to do with the scope or role of this court or the case. They said that the discussion on July 27 and commencement of the pronouncement of the verdict on August 1 was expected to be as scheduled.Though the agitation would legally have no impact on the pronouncement of the verdict, they said that participation of the defence counsel in the finalisation of modalities would be ideal, as they would have to argue on the sentences.

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