He was appointed to the case in May 2019 on the request of the slain cop’s family. Ashwini, an assistant inspector and a resident of Navi Mumbai, was killed allegedly by the then senior inspector Abhay Kurundkar and his three associates on April 11, 2016. The trial is underway at the Panvel sessions court.

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However, since the appointment, the payment of fees is irregular. “It’s been 2.5 years, I have been writing to the Navi Mumbai police again and again, asking for the status of my payment. However, no satisfactory answer has been given to me. The outstanding amount runs to around R20 lakh,” Advocate Gharat told mid-day.

“I am fed up with this attitude. I have written to the Navi Mumbai police and the home department. I have told them that if they cannot pay the fees, I will stop attending the hearings. They can hire a new lawyer for the case,” he added.

“There is some delay due to rotation of funds in different accounts. Advocate Gharat is in touch with our officers. We will be getting it cleared as soon as possible,” Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe told mid-day.