MUMBAI: Submitting that it was neither in the public interest nor made in accordance with law, accused in murder cases Vijay Palande has moved a trial court against the reinstatement of Ujjwal Nikam as special public prosecutor in his case. Nikam, BJP’s nominee from the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat who lost, had resigned from 29 cases before his election campaigning commenced.
Claiming that the reappointment was made with malafide intentions and seeking cancellation of his fresh appointment in the cases, Palande’s plea alleged Nikam will now act for the BJP’s agenda and “for making the image in the eye of the public, he may go to any extent for getting false conviction in famous high-profile cases which is against the fundamental rights of the accused and against the expectation of fairness.”
“It is humbly submitted that the fresh appointment by BJP-led government in state of… Nikam is for extraneous consideration, made with malafide intention to promote him and to make campaign through him as well as to give him hefty remunerations and facilities in (the) name of legal fees which is public money, this is favoritism and illegal,” the plea said.
The plea also said that Nikam’s immediate reappointment after the polls shows “extraneous consideration”, keeping in view the upcoming state assembly elections. “It is humbly submitted that already in public, during Lok Sabha elections Nikam (has) shown himself as a leader of BJP and alliance partners, his every activity is a political activity and hence he will not be fair to the applicant who is not (a) voter of BJP,” the plea said.
The matter will come up for hearing on June 28.
Among the cases Palande is accused of is the April 2012 murder of businessman Arunkumar Tikku (62). Tikku was found dead at his home in Oshiwara. Palande is also on trial in the murder of film producer Karankumar Kakkar. He has been in jail since his arrest in 2012.

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