SOME people, including many diehard United National Congress (UNC) supporters, are blaming Ramesh Maharaj as being responsible for the jail that Basdeo Panday is now making.

Those of that view argue that Panday’s long journey to jail began the moment Maharaj, while he was still the Attorney General under the UNC Government led by Panday, put certain measures in place and spoke out against law breakers and corruption in the party, which eventually caused the downfall of the then UNC regime.

Now, besides arguing that the jail sentence on Panday was harsh and unjust, Maharaj is further contending that the Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls was wrong in law in denying the Opposition Leader bail.

For his part, Panday had been spearheading moves over the past few months to bring Maharaj back into the UNC fold.

But from all appearances and reports, the relationship between Panday and Maharaj has been bitter-sweet over the years.

Cursing out one another one minute, hugging up each other the next day.

The late Winston Leonard recalled in an interview with TnT Mirror in September 1998 that he once heard Panday say, when Maharaj had now began to practise law and had already gained a negative reputation: “If I am walking down High Street (San Fernando) and I see Ramesh coming up I will cross the road one time.”