'Come Tomorrow To Collect Your Re 1 Fee For Kulbhushan Jadhav Case': Sushma Swaraj To Harish Salve An Hour Before Death

Harish Salve, one of India’s top lawyers, charged only Rs 1 as the fee for fighting India’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the death penalty given to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav by a Pakistani military court.

Salve was India’s lead attorney at the ICJ hearing on the case of Indian national Jadhav.

NEW DELHI: Harish Salve, one of India’s top lawyers, on Tuesday said that hours before Sushma Swaraj's demise, she had asked him to collect his fee of Re 1 that he had charged for the case against Pakistan involving Kulbhushan Jadhav. While talking to a news channel Times Now, Salve said "I am in a state of shock. I spoke to Sushma Swaraj at 8.50 pm and she asked me to meet her tomorrow and collect the fee of Rs 1." "I said, of course, I have to come to collect that precious fee" he further added. Harish Salve, one of India’s top lawyers, had charged only Rs 1 as the fee for fighting India’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the death penalty given to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav by a Pakistani military court. This was disclosed by former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in response to a tweet by one Sanjeev Goyal, who said India could have got any good lawyer with much less fee than what Salve must have charged for fighting the case. “Not fair. #HarishSalve has charged us Rs. 1/- as his fee for this case,” Swaraj tweeted.

We are grateful to Mr.Harish Salve for presenting India's case so effectively before ICJ.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 18, 2017

Not fair. #HarishSalve has charged us Rs.1/- as his fee for this case. https://t.co/Eyl3vQScrs

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 15, 2017

The Pakistan government had in its budget document presented in the National Assembly the last year said that it paid Rs 20 crore to UK-based barrister Khawar Qureshi, who is representing the country in the Hague. A Cambridge University law graduate, Qureshi was the youngest lawyer fighting a case in the ICJ. Salve was India’s lead attorney at the ICJ hearing on the case of Indian national Jadhav. Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by the Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. His sentencing evoked a sharp reaction in India. On Twitter, where the BJP stalwart was quite active, had congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the government revoked the special status for Jammu and Kashmir, saying "I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime". Just hours before her demise, taking to Twitter in the evening, Swaraj said: "@narendramodi ji - Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime." This last tweet of Swaraj and the words used by her left scores of her supporters and admirers in shock and grief.

प्रधान मंत्री जी - आपका हार्दिक अभिनन्दन. मैं अपने जीवन में इस दिन को देखने की प्रतीक्षा कर रही थी. @narendramodi ji - Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you very much. I was waiting to see this day in my lifetime.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) August 6, 2019

This was her second tweet in as many days lauding the government over the move to revoke special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the border state into two Union territories. ALSO WATCH: When Swaraj Attacked Opposition And Said 'Madam We Do Not Plead Guilty To Your Charges'