Kasab prosecutor lands into controversy

vIndianz.com (22 Dec, 2009) — Prosecuting lawyer Ujwal Nikam on Monday courted hullabaloo for his so-called statement that a ex- Union minister had put strain on him to pace up the Mumbai attack trial for electoral gains and the state government has been intended for making a statement on Tuesday itself.

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil asked the government to make the statement on Tuesday subsequent to the high-profile Special Public Prosecutor’s supposed remark kicked up dust in the Assembly.

Nikam is suspected to have said he was asked to file 12 separate charge sheets in the trial against the single surviving Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab to ask for fast verdict in every case.

Raising the matter in the House, Opposition Leader Eknath Khadse, Sena Group Leader Subhash Desai and MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said Nikam in his current public speech accused a former Central minister of putting strain to conclude the continuing trial against Kasab prior to the Lok Sabha elections in April-May this year.

Nikam purportedly made the remarks at a seminar on trial against terrorists at Latur district two days back. The prosecutor denied on Monday that he had said pressure was put on him to file separate chargesheets. He said there was no such strain on him or the prosecution and that he had been quoted out of context.

Opposition members want to know who is the minister concerned in the previous UPA regime who supposedly mounted pressure on Nikam for a fast conclusion of trial in the November 26 attack last year. The trial started in March.

The Opposition insisted that the statement be made on Monday itself however the Speaker allowed the Government to come out with its position on Tuesday Nikam had on Sunday dubbed as “incorrect” reports that there was demands from a Central minister to file 12 separate chargesheets in the 26/11 trial against Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab and two other accused.

The proposal was made looking into the “bad experience” of filing a single chargesheet in the 1993 Bomb Blast cases which took 14 years to deliver the justice, he said.

“But I convinced the authorities that it would be more prudent to club all charges and file a single chargesheet in the trial. My suggestion was accepted and there was no pressure on us,” Nikam clarified.

Nikam said Kasab’s trial is a milestone example of finishing trial within seven months.

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