Badlapur sexual assault: Ujjwal Nikam expresses confidence of probe team filing chargesheet soon

Ujjwal Nikam/Kirti Surve Parade

Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who has consented to be a Special Public Prosecutor in the Badlapur sexual assault case, on Wednesday, expressed confidence that the chargesheet will be filed soon. He also said that he is optimistic that the trial will be completed in the stipulated period, reported ANI. Nikam told the news agency that he had received oral communication from Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urging him to accept the case given the gravity of the crime.

Nikam, while speaking to ANI, "I have consented to act as a special PP in that case. Still, I have not received the government's official notification but I am optimistic that the government investigating agency will file the chargesheet very soon. Within the stipulated time, they would complete the chargesheet and then thereafter my role would begin."

Nikam has served as a public prosecutor in some high-profile cases, including one involving the 26/11 terrorist attacks. Speaking further about the Badlapur sexual assault case, the lawyer stated that the act was quite cruel and that he understood why people were furious, prompting a rail roko demonstration that lasted nearly 10 hours on Tuesday.

He praised the police for their handling of the protests that erupted following the Badlapur sexual assault case, stating that they had demonstrated "balance" in calming people.

Nikam, who was fielded by the BJP from Mumbai during Lok Sabha Elections 2024, said that the rule of law is supreme in a country and that the accused shouldn't feel that he won't be tried fairly.

The senior lawyer told ANI, "I am very optimistic that the investigating agency will file the chargesheet very soon and will complete the trial within the stipulated time."

The Maharashtra government formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the Badlapur sexual assault case on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, on August 20, police had to use violence to disperse protesters who had congregated at the railway station and stopped the track. The rail roko demonstration forced Central Railway to divert 12 postal express trains and partially cancel 30 local trains. Services resumed later that night, approximately ten hours after the protest began.

According to ANI, the Maharashtra Police arrested some people and filed an FIR after the demonstration against the Badlapur sexual assault case got violent, resulting in stone-throwing and train service disruptions. According to the article, officials believe the situation has returned to normal.