Rashid Malabari's lawyer shot dead in Mangalore

In a shocking development, the advocate for underworld gunman Rashid Malabari, was shot dead at Mangalore on Thursday evening.

Naushad Kasim, who held brief for Malabari was gunned down by unidentified persons in the Falnir area of Mangalore at 2030 hrs on Thursday. Even as police try to find traces of the killer, underworld don, Ravi Poojary, allegedly claimed responsibiity for the killing. During Poojary's telephonic conversation with a local television channel in Bengaluru, he attempted to give the issue a communal spin.

According to eye witnesses, Naushad was walking when the attack occured. After he was shot, Naushad ran at least 200 mts before collapsing in an apartment's parking.

Lawyers in Mangalore who spoke to Naushad just this afternoon said his life was under threat ever since he took up the case. The entire matter was given a communal spin ever since Malabari confessed that both Varun Gandhi and Pramod Muthalik were under his hit-list.