Advocate Wahab Khan - who represents accused Abu Jundal - told the court after questioning David Headley for four days, he needed to personally consult his client to further his questioning.
Highlights
- Advocate Wahab Khan said it was 38 degrees and too hot to continue.
- The court rejected his demand for continuing the cross-examination later.
- The prosecution had earlier said he was asking irrelevant questions.
In a bizarre turn of events, the defence lawyer in the 26/11 trial sought to adjourn his cross examination of
approver David Headley because he said 38 degrees was "too hot" for him.
Advocate Wahab Khan - who represents accused Abu Jundal - told the court after questioning Headley for four days, he needed to personally consult his client to further his questioning. He then added he was "tired and 38 degrees C was too hot" and hence needed to continue another day.
The judge even gave Mr Khan the option to consult Jundal over video conference for an hour in an empty courtroom, assuring privacy. But, Jundal refused saying it was not "reliable" option.
In his order rejecting any further time and ending the cross examination, the judge slammed Mr Khan calling the grounds "ridiculous" and with "mala fide intentions to harass the witness (Headley)".
In between, the judge asked the prosecution to find out from jail authorities how many times have Mr Khan and his team met Jundal in jail. The police told the court it was only yesterday that one of the defence layers met Jundal for almost two hours in jail.
Mr Khan has been accused by prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam for repeatedly asking "irrelevant questions". Often, even the judge has backed Mr Nikam advising Mr Khan to focus on defending his client.
On one occasion when Mr Khan had wanted to question Headley on why he was not extradited to India, the judge stopped him.
Headley, then intervened and sarcastically said, "If I knew Wahab could be my defence attorney I would have agreed to be extradited."
The courtroom, including the judge, burst in peals of laughter.