The lawyer might have known his assailants

Saba Qureshi, Azmi’s junior, told Hindustan Times that she learnt from Inder Singh Kirti Singh—Azmi’s office boy and sole eyewitness – that when the three assailants entered his personal chamber on Thursday evening, Azmi acknowledged them as if they were known to him.

Defence lawyer Shahid Azmi (32) might have known his assailants.

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Saba Qureshi, Azmi’s junior, told Hindustan Times that she learnt from Inder Singh Kirti Singh—Azmi’s office boy and sole eyewitness – that when the three assailants entered his personal chamber on Thursday evening, Azmi acknowledged them as if they were known to him.

“Inder told me that when they three men entered, Azmi looked up and greeted them as if he knew them,” said Qureshi.

Qureshi had received a call from an unknown number on her mobile phone around 7.30 pm asking for directions to Azmi’s residence.

She declined asking the caller the prupose for his query. When the caller said he wanted to discuss a case, Qureshi asked him to come to the office at Taximen’s colony in Kurla (W).

“It is surprising that they had my number and called me to ask for Shahid’s whereabouts,” said Qureshi.

“While going to office on Thursday evening, Shahid told me that he didn’t feel like meeting clients,” she recollected. “I told him to go home and that I will handle the clients. He later changed his mind and went to office.”

Usually, Qureshi takes details of cases from the clients and informs Azmi. “I never allowed anyone to enter Shahid’s cabin before speaking to them.”

On Thursday, she went to Azmi’s fourth floor residence for some time as Azmi had decided to meet a few clients at his office. “Shahid may have thought I was resting and didn’t call me to office.”

The assailants — dressed in black shirt and black trousers — visited Azmi’s office around 7.30 pm.

When Inder was leaving the room, the three men acted as if they were removing some papers from their bag. They were actually removing firearms, which they used to shoot Azmi, Qureshi said.