The defence lawyer of 26/11 accused Fahim Ansari was shot dead on Thursday evening at Taximan’s colony in suburban Kurla.
Confirming the news, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told The Hindu that two unknown assailants shot Shahid Azmi.
A close friend of Mr. Azmi said the assailants entered the house and killed him. Mr. Azmi’s body was taken to a civic hospital for post-mortem, he said.
The 32-year-old lawyer had reportedly complained at the Kurla police station about receiving threats from the Ravi Pujari gang. So far, it is not clear whether his killing is connected with his defence of Ansari.
Mr. Azmi also fought several cases under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. He was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act in 1999 for allegedly conspiring to assassinate Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, but later acquitted by the Supreme Court.
While a teenager, Mr. Azmi served time in Tihar jail. He pursued college education while he was serving a term at Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail from 1992 to 1999. After the Supreme Court acquittal, he enrolled for an LLB course and went on to becoming a successful lawyer in Mumbai. He also did a postgraduate course in creative writing before being released in 1999.
