Rupam Pathak. Telegraph picture

Patna, Jan. 14: The kin of Rupam Pathak, the assailant of Purnea MLA Rajkishore Keshari, are not expecting her to get a fair deal in judiciary. For, lawyers in Purnea are allegedly reluctant to argue her case in the court.

A six-page letter of Rupam’ s mother, Kumud Mishra, to the state women’s commission complains about not being able to find an appropriate lawyer.

“The constitutionally guaranteed right (right of an accused to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of his choice) as per Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of India has been seriously compromised with in the present case as the atmosphere of fear and extreme partiality created by the ruling establishment and the local administration has resulted in a situation where people are afraid of doing pairvi (argue) on behalf of the accused. How can an impartial trial be expected?” Rupam’ s mother wrote.

Dinesh Kumar, the lawyer of Kumud, told The Telegraph: “In the beginning, lawyers were not willing to take up the case. But now things have changed.”

The complaint petition has failed to revoke any response from the panel because it is defunct. The tenure of its members lapsed last November.

In her review petition given to the Purnea court, Rupam had talked about the heavy odds she was facing. She claimed that she withdrew the case against the MLA and his aide, Bipin Rai, under duress.

The petition of Kumud also questions the failure of the administration to lodge an FIR against the people, including policemen, who merciless assaulted Rupam.

The decision to ask the CBI to investigate just the murder of the MLA is another blow to Rupam’s family members.

Kumud has said that it was improper for the deputy chief minister of the state to try to determine the guilt of her daughter and the innocence of the late MLA.

Her petition also states that the school founded by Rupam was forcibly closed at the behest of the local administration with the active involvement of the supporters of the late MLA.

The petition has sought security to the accused, her family and property.

Rupam stabbed the Purnea BJP MLA to death at his residence on January 4. The 43-year-old school principal walked into the lawn of the MLA on the pretext of meeting him around 9am. When Keshari agreed to her request to talk to him in private, a few metres away from where the other visitors were sitting, she took out a knife and stabbed him in public.