DNA
with exclusive pics by Rons Bantwal
for Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (MB)
  
Mumbai, May 23: The horror of the late Pramod Mahajan’s death came rushing back to his wife, Rekha, on Thursday. The opening day of the BJP leader’s murder trial saw her fainting in court while testifying against brother-in-law Pravin Mahajan, accused of shooting Pramod point-blank with his licenced revolver, on April 22, 2006.

Sessions Judge Shrihari P Davare adjourned the case for the day. Rekha will resume her testimony on Friday.

Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam put Rekha in the box at 12.15 pm on Thursday. She started off, reminiscing the young Pramod Mahajan she had married in 1972. She also spoke of his relentless struggle in those days to feed his family.

She started weeping when told to narrate the events of the fateful morning of April 22, 2006. Then, composing herself, she said that the day had begun at 7am in their temporary accommodation at 1501 Poorna Apartments, Worli. They had leased the 3-BHK flat from Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi as their own residence - 1201 Sukhta Apartments, Worli - was undergoing renovation at that time.

That day, Pramod had woken her up, and she went to the kitchen to brew their morning cup of tea. The BJP leader, dressed in a “banyan”, was seated in his usual arm chair near the telephone in the living room. There was no one else - their daughter, Poonam, was in her matrimonial home at Bhima Apartments, just a few buildings away. Son Rahul was with his grandmother Prabhavati Mahajan at Sukhta Apartments.

Pramod’s sister Pragnya and her husband, BJP leader Gopinath Munde, were in another flat, located three storeys below at Poorna Apartments. Around 7.45 am the door bell rang. Pramod opened it to let Pravin into the house. Rekha saw Pramod lead his brother to the three-seater sofa before resuming his place in the armchair. She gave a graphic representation, marking the seating arrangement on the room plan that had been exhibited before the judge on Wednesday.

Pravin declined the tea she offered and asked for a glass of water instead. She returned with the water, and then went into the bedroom to fetch Pramod’s track-suit and sports shoes as it was time for her husband’s morning exercises.

“No sooner had I entered the bedroom, I heard some thing go phut-phut in the living room,” said Rekha, and fainted. A lady constable carried her out of the witness box and seated her in a chair.

Daughter Poonam and sister-in-law Pragnya rushed to tend to Rekha. Judge Davare immediately directed the court staff to send for a doctor from the court’s dispensary. When the judge adjourned the matter at 1.50 pm, Rekha was still unwell.

Minutes later she left the courtroom, accompanied by Poonam, Pragnya and her daughters, Vinod Tawde and Pramod’s other younger brother, Prakash.

A group of BJP workers attending the trial, got into a tussle with the media. The quarrel was resolved inter se and no one was hurt.