Mumbai: A 'Kissa Kursi Ka' of sorts unfolded at a special court in the city on Friday when Pragya Thakur, the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, staged a drama of sorts over the ‘kursi’ (chair) she was given. Thakur, a newly elected Member of Parliament, accused the court of being ‘insensitive’ as she had nowhere to sit during the hearing, which went on for over two hours. Friday was the first day Thakur attended the trial. At first, she was made to sit on the bench reserved for the accused. Thakur, who was in her signature saffron attire, refused to take her seat and claimed she was not ‘comfortable’ doing so. The court then allowed her to sit on a chair, but this offer too was spurned, for similar reason; instead, she chose to stand near a window.
She stood throughout the hearing and attentively listened to the examination of the then tehsildar of Malegaon city. She also smiled at her colleagues intermittently during the proceedings. However, as soon as the special judge, Vinod Padalkar, wrapped up the hearing for the day and proceeded to his chamber, Thakur began shouting in the courtroom, which was full of mediapersons, advocates, policemen and law interns. “What kind of place is this? There is no place for me to sit. Next time, if the court calls me to attend the hearing, it should first make arrangements for me to sit. I cannot sit on such a chair or benches. I am not comfortable sitting on these,” she loudly complained to her advocates. Her legal team tried to convince her to desist from drama but the presence of mediapersons only served to spur her on. With every tantrum, Thakur raised her deci-
bel level. This went on for nearly 10 minutes, during which time court decorum went for a toss. “I am not well, yet I travelled all the way from Bhopal to attend the hearing. And when I obey the court orders, I get no place to sit and am made to stand during the entire hearing. I am not a convict, I am still to be proven guilty, thus, I have the right to sit,” Thakur continued.
She further drew attention to the ‘cleanliness’ of the courtroom, saying, “Look at the window panes, they are so dusty, I am allergic to such things. But I was made to stand in this dusty spot.” Thakur, who has attended court hearings in both Mumbai and Bhopal, for a few cases earlier, further demanded the judge should address her and not the advocates. “The judge insisted on my presence in the courtroom and now when I am here, he did not even speak to me. He continued to speak to my lawyers. Next time, I will come (to court) only when the judge speaks to me,” Thakur said. She finally left the courtroom when the court staff asked her to do so. Her parting shot was, she would soon file a plea for ‘better seating arrangements.
- Narsi Benwal
