File picture of the German Bakery after the blast
German Bakery blast convict Himayat Baig's lawyer has asked the Bombay High Court to defer hearing of confirmation of his conviction and death sentence till the National Investigation Agency completes its probe in the case.
According to Mr Baig's advocate Mehmood Parcha, the NIA could arrive at a different conclusion like it has done in previous cases which have been investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad.
"I requested the court to postpone the hearing because the NIA in many cases, at least four cases to my knowledge -- the Mecca Masjid blast case, the Malegaon blast case, the Samjahuta Express blast case and the Ajmer Sharif blast case -- has turned around the investigation," Mr Parcha told reporters.
Mr Baig's lawyer also argued that he did not get a fair trial in the Pune Session Court as he did not have a lawyer of his choice.
"No Advocate was coming forward to take up his trial. Certain associations of advocates had passed a resolution that no one will take up his case. The only lawyer who came out to defend him was a kind of bravery. It was not by choice that he had taken this lawyer. He took him because nobody else was available to him. The Investigating Officer of this case told Himayat Baig that the advocate is his friend and therefore he should keep that lawyer only and not change him. This is what he told the court," Mr Parcha said.
Mr Baig has complained to the court about headaches due to poor eyesight and throat problems. The court directed the jail superintendent to get Mr Baig medically tested and provide necessary treatment and spectacles if required.
On February 13, 2010 a bomb exploded inside the bakery killing 17 persons, including five foreigners and injuring 58 others. In April this year, the sessions court in Pune convicted Himayat Baig and awarded the death penalty to him by observing that it was a rarest of rare case.