Joshi is also a crusader for legal reforms. He writes letters to judges, ministers and the Law Commission among others, recommending changes in the way criminal cases are tried in the country or demanding corrections in the law that will permit the magistrate ("the first custodian of justice") to give bail in a criminal case. He has, in fact, lost count of the number of issues he’s fought for all these years.
But it’s not true that he has written countless letters. "5,000," is a conservative figure Joshi gives. There is a cupboard in the Esplanade Court, just for his letters. And he gets responses too—like from the personal secretary to the Chairman of Law Commission, acknowledging receipt of his letter and that it has been "taken note of and will be effected at the appropriate time." These responses, however peripheral in tone, make him happy.
While he keeps other people’s mail-box full, Joshi continues fighting cases that will never make him any money. There is a police constable, for instance, who is facing trial today because of Joshi—he allegedly burnt his wife in her own father’s house. The lady died but her impoverished father wanted justice. The cops initially refused to register a case, perhaps out of professional courtesy. But once Joshi took up the issue, he was able to procure a non-bailable warrant against the constable and after two-and-a-half years of fighting in the court, examining some 15 witnesses, Joshi has brought the cop to the brink of trial where he believes "justice will be done". Another reason why many men tend to reserve their hate for this advocate is because he fights alimony cases for distraught women who’ve been deserted by their husbands without a penny.
Interestingly, while Joshi’s sympathies are mostly with women, he realises "there is a lot of scope in cases like molestation, for falsely implicating an innocent man". "That’s why," he says, "I first verify the case and then proceed." He fought a case for a school teacher who was accused of molesting a girl student. "The financially backward teacher approached me. After some basic inquiry, I discovered that a local politician was trying to seek revenge for something that transpired between them long ago." Apparently, it was a case of the girl being manipulated into saying that she was molested by the teacher. "I went to the school, took some photographs and spent a lot of time there. The girl said she was molested after the school broke for the day. That sounded strange to me. The school had two shifts, so it was always crowded around the time the girl said she was molested. I cross-examined her in the court. She broke down after a while. And the truth came out."
Joshi has also involved himself in chasing fake encounter cases. He has taken the matter many times to the National Human Rights Commission (nhrc). "I believe most victims of fake police encounters are not criminals. They are innocent people." In the distant Mumbai suburb of Malad, a handicapped man was killed by the cops in an "encounter". He was taken for questioning by the police and the next day he was found dead. Joshi appealed to the nhrc which demanded the state to show video tapes of the autopsy. It’s mandatory to video tape the autopsy of an encounter death. "The case is going on," says Joshi.
He continues his life this way, never minding his own business. Everyday he sees the same sad faces, with the same sad tales to tell. But he tirelessly fights for them day after day. Free. To make himself perfect, let’s say, he has chosen, practice. Joshi can be contacted at: Kishor U. Joshi, 17, Abhinav Nagar, Borivili East, Mumbai 400 066, Tel: 022-8970914
