|
Probably because he knew Pandit
Nehru so well, his petition was closely attended to and scrutinised.
The practice otherwise was to dump such applications in the wastebasket.
Two secretaries BB Paymaster
and RL Dalal were assigned the task of going through the files.
After a thorough examination it was discovered that Bhai Pratap
was innocent.
He had been unjustly convicted. The clinching evidence which could
prove his innocence had been held back by the public prosecutor.
Now that he had been proved
innocent, he deserved a pardon from the governor. Here was the hitch.
Interest in the Nanavati case
had not waned. The government was under immense pressure to pardon
Nanavati.
A large segment of people especially
those from the Parsi community felt that Nanavati did not deserve
such a harsh judgement. He was not a hardened, habitual criminal.
His track record in the services was impeccable. He had already
served some years in jail.
Earlier even in the Sessions
Court, Justice RB Mehta had observed that a nominal sentence would
meet the ends of justice. The Supreme court had held that Nanavati's
life and career had been irreversibly blighted by Prem Ahuja. And
the provocation to Nanavati was grave. But he had committed a murder
and hence the sentence.
The case had also turned into
a Sindhi vs Parsi battle. Ram Jethmalani a Sindhi was on Ahuja's
side and the Parsi lawyer Karl Khandalavala, the entire communist
bloc led by the highly influential and politically well-connected
Blitz baron Russy Karanjia, the influential Parsi Panchayat on Nanavati's
side.
The government was in a catch-22
situation. If it was to release Bhai Pratap Singh, the Parsi community
would be antagonised. And pardoning Nanavati would mean antagonizing
the Sindhi community as Prem Ahuja was a Sindhi.
Someone acceptable to both
the communities who could ensure the release of both without antagonising
either was needed.
The year was 1962. One fine
day, Ram Jethmalani opened the door to unusual visitors at his Panchshila
apartment. Rajni Patel, the defence lawyer in the Nanavati case
(now a hardcore congressman) and the lovely Sylvia Nanavati!
Ram was taken back. He had
no inkling of the behind the scenes story. His mind worked furiously
to establish the reason behind the visit.
|
