Chicago:
IIT alumnus Vikram Buddhi, convicted for posting hate messages against former President George Bush, said he wanted to fire his lawyer, as he appeared in a Chicago court for sentencing on Thursday.
Buddhi, who has been in a US federal prison since 2006, told the judge that his lawyer Arlingpon Foley has not been discussing the case with him properly and not giving him proper time.
The 38-year old PhD student at Purdue University was tried in Court of Hammond, Indiana and has been kept at Chicago Correctional Centre for the last 3.5 years.
The indictment alleged that Buddhi made threats against the then US president, vice president Dick Cheney and their wives, and called for bombings of American infrastructure.
Foley is the second lawyer to be appointed for Buddhi after his first lawyer was removed apparently on the same grounds.
However, Judge James T Moody told Buddhi in a strict tone that his sentencing will go on today. He asked Buddi to either represent himself or discuss the issue with his lawyer, before the court proceedings broke up for recess.
Buddhi has said that the charges against him are false and he has been wrongly and unfairly convicted.
His sentencing was initially scheduled for November 19, 2009 but was postponed to December 10. In India, Buddhi's parents have been knocking on the government's doors for help. IITians too have been campaigning to get Buddhi freed.