Doubts over Mumbai suspect lawyer

Ms Waghmare has been promised police protection

The sole known surviving suspect from last November's attacks in Mumbai (Bombay) may once again be without proper legal representation.

A lawyer who was appointed for Ajmal Amir Qasab has said she is resigning from the case, after a crowd of protesters gathered outside her home.

Lawyer Anjali Waghmare was then promised police protection and is due to give a final decision on Wednesday.

Qasab has been charged with murder and "waging war" against India.

He has told the court he was from Pakistan's Punjab province and asked for a lawyer.

After the attacks, Indian lawyers had refused to represent Qasab.

Intimidation

Anjali Waghmare, the wife of a city police officer, was appointed by a judge only on Monday morning. She said she would withdraw on the evening of the same day.

A crowd of people - many of them from the Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena - had surrounded her house in Mumbai chanting slogans.

Stones were thrown and nine arrests are reported to have been made. Protesters said anyone who represented Qasab would be considered unpatriotic.

Ms Waghmare would be the second lawyer to withdraw from the case after intimidation.

The special public prosecutor involved in the Qasab trial has strongly condemned those involved in this latest protest.

He said it would send the wrong signal to the world about whether Qasab could get a fair trial in India.

More than 170 people were killed in the Mumbai attacks, and feelings are still running high, says the BBC's Chris Morris in Delhi.

The charge sheet relating to November's attacks runs to more than 11,000 pages.

Qasab has been charged under various acts, including murder, attempted murder and damaging public property.

OTHER MAIN QASAB CHARGES Firing at CST train station Firing inside and outside Cama Hospital Hijacking of Skoda vehicle Murder of MV Kuber boatman Firing at Girgaum Chowpatty beach

His trial, which is due to begin in April, is to be held in Mumbai's maximum-security Arthur Road jail.

He could face the death penalty if found guilty.

Officials say the charge sheet against Qasab and other accused contains details of evidence pertaining to how the alleged conspiracy was hatched, how the gunmen entered Mumbai and the training in Pakistan.

Mumbai police say they are confident of their case because of the weight of evidence.

Relations between India and Pakistan have worsened considerably since the November attacks.

As well as accusing Lashkar-e-Taiba of being behind the attacks, India suggested that "state actors" in Pakistan were also involved.

Delhi has submitted a list of suspects to Pakistan and demanded they be handed over. Both Pakistan and Lashkar have denied involvement.

However, Pakistan's investigation last month found that at least nine suspected attackers had sailed from Karachi to Mumbai in three boats in November.

Pakistan says it has indicted eight people, six of whom have already been arrested, and that any trials will take place on its soil.