Days before he passed away, lawyer Ehtesham Hashmi was surronded, threatened by 300 lawyers in court
He was threatened in Indore Court premises for opposing bail to Bajrang Dal leader
New Delhi: Nearly two weeks before he passed away due to a heart attack on Thursday, Supreme Court lawyer and Human Rights activist Ehtesham Hashmi was surrounded and threatened by around 300 lawyers inside the Indore Court premises for appearing to oppose the bail application of a Bajrang Dal leader.
Hashmi, who was known for his vocal activism against the Hindutva forces, died due to heart attack on Thursday.
According to a report published in Newslaundry.com the apex court lawyer had been threatened in the Indore court on January 28. He was appearing for Mufti Sabir Ali who had lodged a complaint against Bajrang Dal leader Tanu Sharma for his derogatory remarks against Prophet during the protests of Bollywood movie ‘Pathaan’ on January 25.
“Hashmi was not in their good books as last year he secured bail for the Muslim bangle seller…they often used to say within their circles that Hashmi is a PFI agent…the next day, on January 28, around 300 lawyers gathered inside the court to lead an attack on Hashmi. They wanted to set an example so that no lawyer would dare to fight such cases…Sharma got bail…Hashmi stepped out under police protection,” a lawyer, who wished to remain confidential, told Newslaundry.
Speaking to Newslaundry himself, Hashmi had admitted to having been threatened inside the Indore court on January 27, adding that he had not been bothered but continued with the argument.
The advocate had said, “Next day, the court was packed with lawyers who had come in support of Tanu Sharma. Despite repeated orders of the judge to leave the court, they didn’t step out. I was alerted in advance by my sources that I might be attacked and had requested for police security. Police escorted me outside the court…I am thankful to Indore police.”
Hashmi, however, had sent a defamation notice to the Hindi daily, Dainik Bhaskar. “They ran a totally fake story by indirect reference to me. How can they run news without verifying it?” asked Hashmi.
The advocate had been actively providing legal aid to survivors of instances of anti-Muslim violence. In 2022, he had secured bail for a Muslim bangle seller, who had been thrashed by the Hindutva activists and arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police.
He had also been a part of several fact-finding committees, the latest being the panel that visited Tripura and Ujjain, which witnessed anti-Muslim violence.
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Five killed as moving bus catches fire in Lucknow
Lucknow (PTI): Five people, including two children, were killed when a private bus caught fire in the Mohanlalganj area here early Thursday, police said.
They said the incident occurred around 5:00 am on Kisan Path, a major roadway on the outskirts of Lucknow.
According to sources, the bus was carrying 80 passengers.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Mohanlalganj) Rajneesh Verma said the bus was en route to Delhi from Begusarai in Bihar when it suddenly caught fire.
"Initial investigation suggests that the fire may have started due to a short circuit in the bus' gearbox," Verma told PTI.
Most of the passengers were asleep when the fire started. It spread rapidly and five passengers -- two women, two children and a man -- were unable to get out in time and died. Several other passengers sustained injuries and have been taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.
According to eyewitnesses, the flames were visible from almost a kilometre away. The bus did not come to a halt immediately after the fire broke out, the eyewitnesses said.
Firefighters reached the spot promptly and managed to control the blaze within half an hour.
Police found that the emergency exit door of the bus failed to open, which led to passengers sitting in the rear getting trapped inside.
According to authorities, a probe to determine the exact cause of the fire is underway.
