From 26/11 to 1993 Bombings: A Look At Ujjwal Nikam's High-Profile Cases

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing polls, the Congress party stirred a fresh controversy by alleging that the BJP replaced a woman MP with someone like lawyer Ujjwal Nikam in Lok Sabha elections whose “lie” about 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab being served biryani in jail had been exposed in the past. For the unversed, the BJP picked former special public prosecutor Nikam from the Mumbi North Central constituency by dropping sitting MP Poonam Mahajan. Addressing a press conference, Supriya Shrinate said the people will teach the BJP a lesson by electing Congress candidate Varsha Gaikwad from the Mumbai North Central seat. Amid all these controversies let's take a look at Nikam's high-profile cases 

Ujjwal Nikam: A Look at His High-Profile Cases 

Ujjwal Nikam has been involved in several high-profile cases throughout his career. Some of the notable cases he has prosecuted include:-

• Mumbai 1993 Bombings: Nikam was part of the prosecution team in the trial of those accused in the 1993 Bombay bombings, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in India's history.
• 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks: He served as the public prosecutor in the trial of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. His role in securing Kasab's conviction received widespread attention.
• Pramod Mahajan Murder Case: Nikam prosecuted the case against Pravin Mahajan, who was convicted of murdering his brother, Pramod Mahajan, a senior BJP leader, in 2006.
• Khairlanji Massacre: Nikam was involved in the prosecution of the accused in the Khairlanji massacre case, where four members of a Dalit family were brutally murdered in Maharashtra in 2006.
• German Bakery Blast Case: He was the public prosecutor in the trial of those accused in the 2010 German Bakery blast in Pune, which resulted in several fatalities.
• Malegaon Blast Case: Nikam was involved in prosecuting some of the accused in the 2006 Malegaon bombings case, which targeted a mosque in Maharashtra.
• Gangster Chhota Rajan's Case: Nikam has also been involved in prosecuting cases against notorious gangster Chhota Rajan, including charges related to murder and extortion.

BJP Writes to EC

The BJP has written to the Election Commission seeking action against the Congress and its leader Vijay Wadettiwar for allegedly peddling lies and defaming Nikam. For the unversed, Wadettiwar, the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, purportedly called Nikam an "anti-national" and accused him of hiding the information that then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare was not killed by terrorist Ajmal Kasab's bullet  but by a police official close to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Nikam dismissed the claims by the Congress leader calling them "baseless" and alleged that the latter just wants to do "Goebbels' propaganda" making references to Joseph Goebbels who was Hitler's aide and Nazi Party chief propagandist.

"What allegations are you making? What will Pakistan say? Pakistan has never denied this. because we produced judicial proof. But our man is doing politics. You just want to do propaganda - that too Goebbels' propaganda. This doesn't defame Nikam. It defames you," Nikam said while speaking to on Monday.

"I am not bothered by Vijay Wadettiwar's allegations against me but the fact that Kasab and his colleague Abu Ismail killed Hemant Karkare was never disputed even by Pakistan but the leader of the opposition is questioning the whole case, it is not just an insult to the 166 people died but all our martyrs. I am sad that an Opposition leader who doesn't know the entire thing believes in a book and makes baseless statements. It means that you are insulting Hemant Karkare," Nikam said.  

Mumbai North Central: Ujjwal Nikam vs Varsha Gaikwad 

In Mumbai's political arena, the spotlight is on the North Central constituency as it braces for a heated battle between Ujjwal Nikam and Congress' Varsha Gaikwad. Despite facing initial disappointment over not securing a ticket for Mumbai South Central, which covers Dharavi, Gaikwad has pivoted her focus towards her candidacy for Mumbai North Central. In recent interactions with the press, Gaikwad has exuded confidence in her prospects for winning the upcoming election.

The political history of Mumbai's North Central seat reveals a dynamic narrative. Poonam Mahajan emerged victorious in both the 2014 and 2019 elections, defeating Congress stalwart Priya Dutt, who held the MP position from 2009 to 2014. Notably, the 2009 election saw prominent lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani as the BJP candidate, albeit without success against Priya Dutt.

Mumbai is segmented into two sections, comprising a total of six constituencies. The city section encompasses Mumbai South and Mumbai South Central, while the suburban section comprises Mumbai North Central, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North West, and Mumbai North. Voting for these constituencies is scheduled for May 20, marking the fifth phase of the polls.