Mumbai attack suspect's lawyer removed

MUMBAI, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- An Indian trial court Monday removed the lawyer for the suspect in last year's Mumbai terror attacks, saying he was not cooperating with the court.

S.G. Abbas Kazmi, the state-appointed lawyer for Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, was removed by Special Judge M.L. Tahaliyani, the Press Trust of India reported.

The report said the Mumbai trial court's order came after Kazmi refused to consider the court's suggestion to pick 71 witnesses out of 340 for cross-examination. Kasab was quoted as insisting he wanted to examine all 340.

"Kazmi is not cooperating with the court in the interest of justice. He is trying to drag the trial and is unnecessarily consuming the time of the court," the judge observed, the Times of India reported.

In a similar tussle last week, the judge reprimanded Kazmi with a threat to remove him, the report said.

Judge Tahaliyani ordered Kasab's case would now be handled by Kazmi's assistant K.P. Pawar, who is also state appointed, the Times of India reported.

Kasab, a Pakistani national, was the only suspect among about 10 others who was captured alive in the Mumbai terror attacks a year ago in which more than 160 people were killed at various locations in the country's financial capital.