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Vijaya Sharma
On November 24, 1961
the 34-year-old Commander Kawas Maneckshaw Nanavati was handed a
life sentence for the murder of Prem Ahuja, his wife Sylvia's seducer.
It was the end of the road
for the brilliant Navy commander. His job was taken away. For the
young 28-year old Sylvia and her three children, uncertainty stretched.
But the mercurial life of the
Commander was yet to unspool an even more strange drama. And for
Sylvia, India had yet to unfold the defining chapter in her life…
In a reversal, Ram Jethmalani
who had remained in the background and helped the prosecution to
nail Nanavati would now come to the forefront and essay a role which
perhaps even he had not anticipated.
Two diverse threads would be
woven to yield the fabric of freedom.
In mid 1960s in Bombay, a prominent
Sindhi freedom fighter Bhai Pratap Singh was engaged in a flourishing
import trade. Since the days of the freedom struggle Bhai Pratap
Singh had close links with the towering Congress personalities then
- Pandit Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.
He had settled down in Bombay
after the partition and had worked hard to provide a home to Sindhis
in Gandhidham who were forced to leave behind home and hearth in
Pakistan.
During one of the import transactions,
a complaint was lodged against him for misuse of the goods imported.
An investigation was launched against Bhai Pratap. With his resources,
Bhai Pratap was eager to have the best lawyer fighting defending
him.
Bhai Pratap was acquainted
with Ram Jethmalani through his son-in-law Balu Patwardhan. Ram
Jethmalani was a promising young name in the legal arena then and
was called upon to handle the case.
But the case was a little complicated
and on second thoughts Bhai Pratap thought it prudent to engage
someone more seasoned in the legal games. An older and better known
lawyer was brought in to replace Ram.
But to Bhai Pratap's dismay,
the experienced lawyer could not prove Bhai Pratap's innocence.
Bhai Pratap was convicted and sentenced to 18 months of rigorous
imprisonment.
His higher appeal spoilt the
case even further. The sentence was enhanced to another five years!
Finally Bhai Pratap, with his
contacts with Pandit Nehru filed for a mercy petition before the
then Maharashtra governor in 1962 Vijay Lakshmi Pandit.
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