(June 5, 3:30pm)

Met the lawyer yesterday.. the new one.. I finally decided among the three or four lawyers I was considering, and zeroed on, on this son of SC bar council chairman..

Big name, and so big charges too.. paid him half of the 40,000 bucks he had asked.. Yes, that's too much for a post-retirement case, but then do I have choices?

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At least, his father's name would help our case.. and hopefully I would get what's been pending for 20 months now.. !!

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He says he would get me the PF and arrears of pension (Jan 2005 till muma's death in September 2010)... but is not sure whether my request for a 12 per cent interest on delay in payment of gratuity, leave encashment and other arrears would be considered!

"It's India you see, judges generally have the effrontery to say at least you got the principal," he told me!

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But then given that his dad is a big shot, he can actually get a favourable verdict in even the demand of interest.. and ironically, in our case, the interest exceeds the principal..

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Rohan, who accompanies me to the lawyer usually, like he did yesterday, suggested I moved in steps..

"Let's get the PF first, then we would ask him for his father's intervention in the "interest" thing!"

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"Surely, his father can... and if we offer him a 10-12% share, he would I think," said Rohan..

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So that's it... let's move in steps... wise people usually go about that way.. and since I'm far from wise, I guess it is wiser to follow others, than decide on my own!

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