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He sat at the podium, behind the specks resting on his nose bridge, dark stocky, large oblong chubby face, thick mustache, accent crude and rustic. The Metropolitan magistrate looked more like a wrestler or a don than a judge. Appearance and disposition counts after all they say. He pores on a thick bunch of tagged papers for a file " "Surety Omprakash". - side lining the accompanying lawyer, in an endearing and respectful fashion, MM asked:
" what is your relation with the accused "
Surety: " He is our family friend sir".
MM: "How long do you know him?"
Surety: "twenty years sir, we are next door neighbors".
The Naib Court i. e representative of police interprets to the surety if he misses a point in according fashion. The lawyer feeling watered down turned his torso in the direction of his client and the naib court who had self appointed himself as guide to the surety. Finding himself suddenly a stranger became one of the passive onlookers.MM showed his teeth in smile now and then. The surety excited began to chatter like a pampered baby. Going out of the way MM advises: Don't go. Go to Ahlmad room. There you give thumb impression in register. Wait outside for now."
MM calls the next name. The clerk cleaving his way through the dense crowd reaches the door of the court room and shouts "State Satish" three times and ducking rushed to the left end of the podium.MM disposition changes faster than a chameleon. Assumes a gaunt look and gets tensely occupied with his pen and paper.
Lawyer: Your lordship I am in jail for one month- investigation is complete- no more required for any purpose- I have been picked up from home around 12 pm in the night and the police is saying that it has picked me up from the spot in the morning. I don't have criminal record your honor," The lawyer is black tight fit jeans and brown shoes caked with dust. MM keeps writing noting long after the lawyer had stopped. The court was hammed with lawyers, shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet- every available nook and corner occupied. The portion of corridor was also equally crowded with litigants, their family members, friends, touts and lawyers, their eyes and ears glued to the door to hear their names. They were more than hundred.MM appears to be oblivious of the restlessness and impatience overflowing from faces and bodies, layers, accused, and litigants unwittingly turned prisoners. The air inside the court room agog with nauseating smell of sweat and farts secretly released.
MM slowly puts the bunch of file on the his left. "Know the order in the evening". Three young juniors enters heads straight for the podium and take their places out of turn. they are juniors of one of those lawyers who are known to have face values and clout in judiciary and politicians. The guys showed their teeth MM also showed his teeth in return and in voices barely audible enters into a friendly and sort of informal conversation. MM shook his head several times as if to say "Done." "Done."The clock is showing 3 pm 4 is the time went MM should leave the podium for his chamber. The crowd inside the court has almost reached break even point because of exhaustion and weariness, more so because of the snail space at which the proceeding in such a unbecoming environment. The stenographer on the right side sat idly resting his chin on his palm. The reader with bunch of papers in front of him was sitting like a statue; eyes transfixed on the MM both seemed to be equally marginalized and side-lined like many lawyers. The mm suddenly turns menacing on a small faceless lawyer and gives him a dressing down. “So what if co-accused has been granted bail' He kept on haranguing on the point. Accused are granted bail specially if the main accused their alleged accomplice has been granted bail. After wasting so much time on this sham sort of thing and noting down for unusual length of time so slowly, he placed the file on the left and said. ' Know order in the evening. The steno and the reader and other staff in front giggled all the time at the little melodramas- a small diversion. The stack of pending files- order reserved ones all of course reached his shoulder level. By the time My turn came I was exhausted completely-legs almost shaking with pain gripped by a queer sense of constriction,. I found my tongue strangely tied because of weariness and tension. My eyes begging to droop down. In irritatingly screeching and squeaking voice I said " Your honor AAAAAAA I am in J.C for 15 days........" and the usual ones my voice drowned by overlapping noises of indescribable varieties. The file went to the left.' Reserved" All the Orders reserved. "stupid "......." and what not some of the lawyers made wild comments in hush tones One said "Thaila wala Hai" meaning he is one of those who has got the post by exchanging bag of money. Clicks and thuds- restless creaking of chairs rent the air all through. MM goes into his chamber at 4.30 Pm and after him went the files. After a lull of pretty long time. The favorite Naib Court of MM came out of the chamber and running to the podium announced " Litigants go -your lawyers will know the order" Non lawyer taking a sigh of relief happily went to their homes. Lawyers detained in court past working hours like errant school children. It is past 5.30 . All the courts and corridors and lawn are wearing a deserted look but this court and its corridor is still bustling with lawyers and stray litigants. Things cannot be postponed for the next day for the simple reason that knowing the order will be all the more difficult. You'.. have to flatter the staff and run from pillar to post. I was holding my urine all through , supposing if the order is announced in meantime. It would entail another leg of chase and seeking frantic inquiries from unwilling and irritating staff. The Naib court appearing at door of chamber at intervals and disappearing in a jiffy. I have imposed a self exile on myself. I decline cases of two MM courts on this planet, however the party may be paying for many reasons. This MM sits on the head of another in the lis .This one barks and vexes. The other one is sweet and poisonous . Interestingly reactions vis a vis these two have always been mixed. The MM is endearing like elder brother to quit a few lawyers and police personnel, hurly burly and macho of the court, and a dread to some and a humiliatingly cold whom he would side line and make him feel stupid. Years crawled by now I came to know that MM has been promoted as Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate and after a couple of years I saw his name among the names of District and Session Judges. He probably knew the rules of the game. He was practical. He won.
