Buddhi represents himself at sentence hearing

Buddhi, who has been in a US federal prison since 2006, earlier told the judge that he wanted to fire his lawyer Arlingpon Foley who has not been discussing the case with him properly and not giving him proper time.

The hearing has being going on for the past five hours and the sentencing is expected to be delivered by the court when it sits after the recess.The 38-year old Phd student at Purdue University is being tried in Court of Hammond, Indiana and has been kept at Chicago Correctional Centre for the last three and a half years.

The indictment alleged that Buddhi made threats against the then US president, vice president Dick Cheney and their wives, and called for bombings of American infrastructure.

Foley is the second lawyer to appointed for Buddhi after his first lawyer was removed apparently on the same grounds. However, Judge James T Moody had told Buddhi in a strict tone that his sentencing will go on.

He had asked Buddhi to either represent himself or discuss the issue with his lawyer, before the court proceedings broke up for recess.

Buddhi has said that the charges against him are false and he has been wrongly and unfairly convicted. His sentencing was initially scheduled for November 19, 2009 but was postponed to December 10.