Celeb prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam to testify as defence witness

Ahmednagar (Maharashtra), June 22 (IANS) In a major development in the ongoing Kopardi gangrape-cum-murder trial, celebrity Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam will be summoned as a defence witness shortly, a lawyer for the accused said here on Thursday.

"Yes, SPP Ujjwal Nikam will now testify as our witness from the witness box, the dates for which will be decided by Sessions Judge Suvarna Keole on Friday," Vijayalaxmi Khopade, lawyer for one of the accused, Santosh Bhaval, told IANS.

"This will be the first incident in Indian judicial history where a SPP will be called by the lawyers of the accused as a defence witness in its own case," said Khopade, who is fighting the case along with her father, advocate Balasaheb Khopade.

This is because of several factors, including the fact that Nikam was appointed as a SPP in the case in late July, barely 10 days after the July 13, 2016, incident, and long before the 350-page chargesheet naming 70 witnesses was filed on October 7 -- exactly 86 days after the incident.

"He took a massive part in the investigations into the entire case... the Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) told the Maharashtra Legislature that the matter is being probed under the guidance of the SPP, among other things," Khopade added.

Referring to certain other facets of the case which she termed as "bad in law", the lawyer said even the Supreme Court has ruled that a "prosecutor must not become a persecutor".

"From the beginning, the SPP's attitude has been one of bias... We have put on record how the witnesses were coached at his home, how fabricated documents have been submitted as evidence, among other things," Khopade said.

Despite several attempts by IANS, Nikam could not be contacted for his version in the matter.