Majeed to defend NRI in US

V Narayan & Divya Unny
Thursday, January 03, 2008 09:53 IST

Noted criminal lawyer Majeed Memon has an overseas assignment. He would take a flight to the US by the end of this month to defend NRI designer Anand Jon, who has 34 rape and molestation charges against his name.

The accused has been on trial for the past seven months in the courts at Los Angeles and Texas.

Anand’s sister Sanjana met Memon in the city to ensure that he would be there in the US, fighting for her brother, when the case comes up for hearing on January 30.

Sanjana said, “We fear that Anand would not be given a fair chance to defend himself. Perhaps, only a lawyer India would fight for him without prejudice.”

Memon said, “I will place the matter before the prime minister and the external affairs ministry by mid-January. It will help me get detailed information from the Indian embassy in the US.”

Anand was arrested on March 6 for allegedly molesting and raping 34 women. But according to his sister, the charges were fabricated. Memon said, “One of the charges against him was that he tried to kiss a woman.

He has also been accused of raping a woman. But when it was checked, it was found that the victim had said to the police that the alleged rape happened a year ago. There are many such baseless charges filed against him.”

The lawyer would also appeal to the international human rights commission to get Anand justice. Sanjana said that her brother had been kept in chains for the past seven months.

Repeated pleas for bail went in vain. “Anand was out on bail once, just for a month. He was rearrested in May and had since been in jail,” she said.

Sanjana made it clear that her brother was a victim of racial discrimination. “We have documentary evidences showing how the girls had been conspiring against Anand, but we have not been given a chance to prove our point.”


(Appeared in DNA - Daily News and Analysis)