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Bombay Blasts Judge

Pramod Dattaram Kode has presided over the 1993 Mumbai bombings trial for over 11 years, making it Asia's longest terror trial. He lives under heavy security protection due to the sensitive nature of the case. Kode is regarded as tough but also compassionate, having allowed some accused to visit family for important occasions. The trial involves 123 accused who have become familiar with Kode over the years. After thousands of hours reviewing evidence, Kode recently declared 100 accused guilty and is now determining sentencing, including for actor Sanjay Dutt.

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Rahul Gabda
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57 views

Bombay Blasts Judge

Pramod Dattaram Kode has presided over the 1993 Mumbai bombings trial for over 11 years, making it Asia's longest terror trial. He lives under heavy security protection due to the sensitive nature of the case. Kode is regarded as tough but also compassionate, having allowed some accused to visit family for important occasions. The trial involves 123 accused who have become familiar with Kode over the years. After thousands of hours reviewing evidence, Kode recently declared 100 accused guilty and is now determining sentencing, including for actor Sanjay Dutt.

Uploaded by

Rahul Gabda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Between God and the Accused

The extraordinary life of the Bombay Blasts judge


By Swati Deshpande

Designated TADA judge Pramod Dattaram Kode goes to work every day in a
bulletproof ambassador in the halo of Z-plus security. For over eleven years he has
been presiding over Asias longest terror trial and he hasnt missed a single day. Not
even when his father expired a few years ago. He has spent thousands of hours
surveying the arguments for and against the people who were responsible for the
serial blasts that rocked Mumbai in 1993.
The mood is not always grim in his court. The judge displays a mischievous streak
at times. He would spring a joke on an unsuspecting lawyer and there would be a
twinkle in his eye. Otherwise, his face is a sombre mask, hard to comprehend. His
brooding eyes are transfixed on the lawyers, betel nut in his mouth. Most of his
fingers are adorned with rings. He is somewhat affected by numerology (his favourite
numbers are nine and one) and likes to pass certain orders on certain dates.
The nature of the case is so sensitive that he is one of the most guarded men in
the country. Forty-five men stand sentry. He never steps out of his New Marine Lines
home except when he has to go to court or when he goes on his annual Shirdi visit.
He lives with his wife and two daughters, one of whom is now studying law. His
security men accompany his daughters too, wherever they go.
Kode is regarded as a tough man with a soft core. He has allowed some accused to
visit their ailing parents or to attend the marriages of their children. He has also
been compassionate with those who had to travel for commercial reasons, like an
accused who was dealing in fabric and said he had to go to Lucknow for a wholesale
purchase. He has entertained more than 10,000 such miscellaneous applications, a
record of sorts. The 57-year-old judge doesnt have any grey hair though.
His courtroom is large and stuffy. It may have been the first in Mumbai to be
modernised with a mike and a computer, which has its own story. The clerks kept
reducing the point size of the fonts because the case history was becoming so
voluminous. This Friday, the outdated computer broke down, probably in revolt. The
courtroom resembles a classroom, with wooden benches and one man with all the
authority. Here, the 123 accused have lounged around like college kids catching up
on the times whenever they met. The front-benchers, like the Memons, follow the
proceedings seriously and dont do small talk, but the backbenchers enjoy a quiet
chat. The judge rarely, if ever, raises his voice in court. The accused had begun to
treat him like family and a few years ago even presented him a large handmade
Diwali card. It used to adorn the notice board until a few days ago. But now, with the
sentences being handed out, its hard to say if the warmth would stay.
Kode joined the judiciary in the 1980s. He was a sessions court judge trying
ordinary Indian Penal Code cases then and later in 1993 became a special judge
under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act where for three years
he tried several cases filed against notorious gangsters Dawood Ibrahim, Arun Gawli,
Amar Naik, Ashwin Naik and Chhota Rajan. He was given Y-class security in 1994. In
1996, when he was transferred to the Arthur Road court complex carved out of the
high-security Arthur road prison barrack, his security was enhanced. He was
upgraded to the Z-category by the year-end and later to Z-plus.
The judge does not have an insurance cover as the state government continues to
drag its feet on its promise of a Rs 25 lakh life insurance policy. Earlier, when judge J
N Patel was conducting the trial before his elevation to the Bombay High Court, the
government had suggested a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover.
Kode has declared 100 accused guilty, including three women and acquitted the
remaining 23. He is now going through the crucial task of sentencing the accused.
Film star Sanjay Dutts fate too, is in his hands. More than anybody, he is glad that it
is all coming to an end. Its improbable though that he would ever walk like a free
man. TNN

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