They all stood up instantly, when a middle aged magistrate, dressed in black clothes, entered the courtroom. He marched towards a raised wooden platform, on which was situated a large table and a massive high chair. He seated himself on the chair, looking at the papers in front of him on the table. After a few seconds, he looked up towards both the lawyers of the two opposing teams. "You may start!"
The elderly injured man, Symond's opposition lawyer came forwards, bowing before the magistrate. "You honour! My client here Symond is a poor old man, who was badly injured by this boy, Charles. Charles was in an intoxicated state and was driving his ferrari rapidly at a speed of 160 km/hour. My client is badly injured and I demand a big compensation for all the medical, physical and mental pain my client and his family has gone through. Just because he is rich, doesn't give him an excuse to put other's life in danger!"
The magistrate wrote something on the paper and then looked at Austin. "Defendant's side, may start!"
Austin got up from his seat and bowed down before the magistrate. "Your honour, just because my client is from a rich family, it does not give an excuse to anybody to trap him in these criminal cases. My client was no where even near to the spot, where the plaintiff claims. He was infact still in the night-club with his friends."
The magistrate heard both the sides, and looked at the old man's lawyer. "Now I order the evidences to be produced!"
The elderly lawyer got up from his seat, looking at the magistrate. "Your honour, I would like to call the main eye-witness of the case Mr. John. My client's friend, who was present on the scene of crime, also who took Symond to the hospital!"
Another elderly man, dresses in old rags entered the court and stood inside a wooden box.
"Mr. John, can you please explain the court how the car hit your friend!" The old lawyer stood besides the man, looking towards Austin. This was a clear-cut case. With this man's statement, Austin's evidences would be of no use! Austin looked at John, directly in his eyes, as if he was ready to eat him alive.
John shivered and turned his gaze away, looking at the magistrate. "Your honour, Charles sir did not do anything. We were walking towards our house after our night guard duty, when suddenly Symond told me he has a very good plan to earn money. He said he has read the name of Charles, in newspapers and about his late night parties and he will now blame him for money. He climbed on top of a tree and jumped off from it, injuring himself badly. I was shocked to see his mental state. I took him to the hospital, where he started claiming that a car had hit him. Your honour though Symond is a very good friend of mine, but he is not mentally stable. He needs a treatment!"
John looked at Austin, who slightly nodded at him, in approval. The opposition lawyer was looking at John in surprise.
"Hmmm! So you think Charles is entirely innocent?" Magistrate looked at John with a stern gaze, reading his facial expressions.
"Yes sir!" John nodded confidently, looking straight in magistrate's eyes.
Symond looked at John in shock! His eyes were getting teary and anger engulfed his mind. His own best friend was betraying him.
"Hmmm! Opposition? Do you want to ask any question from the evidence?" The magistrate looked at Austin.
Austin again stood up from his seat, buttoning his coat. "Mr. John! Which hospital did you take your friend to?"
"Life care government hospital!"
"Very well! Thank you! You may sit John!" Austin then turned to look at the magistrate. "Your honour my first eye-witness is Dr. Richard Hall, the senior resident doctor who was on a night duty in the emergency department of the Life Care hospital!"
Suddenly a young man in his early 30s appeared in the court, standing on the raised wooden bar.
"Hello Dr. Richard. If I may ask you, what happened that day?" Austin gave another stern look to the doctor.
"Your honour, that day this man was brought to the hopital in an extremely injured condition. When I asked his friend, he told me that he had jumped off a tree. Infact even when he was injured badly, Symond kept repeating 'I will plot against Charles! I will plot against Charles!' We looked after his wounds for free but after a few days, even after he was in a stable condition, he tried to misbehave with a nurse. He would often walk about in the corridors of the hospital and upon asking he says, he wants to kill Charles. Your honour, this man is unstable, probably an onset of alzhiemer's disease. I would request him to be sent to a rehabilitatuon centre immediately."
"Thank you doctor! You may have your seat!" Austin smiled at the doctor, who walked away, looking nervousely at Austin.