In the safe hands of … Shri Ujjwal Nikam

3rd May 2010 – A memorable day in the history of India; Ajmal Kasab, one of the prime accused in 26/11 attacks in Mumbai was adjudged guilty. All newspapers and news channels are flooded with complete coverage of this important milestone. Most importantly, people are seeing & listening the case briefing of the man behind this important judgment. Yes, I am talking about Special Public Prosecutor Shri. Ujjwal Nikam.

Any severe or criminal incident happens in Maharashtra, the common man feels safe and relaxed if the case is handled by Shri Ujjwal Nikam. The common person believes that now the guilty will be punished and justice will be done. This speaks about the credibility of the person.

Shri Nikam was appointed as special public prosecutor for the 1993 Mumbai bomb-blast case in 1994. After that he handled various high profile cases, such as Gulshan Kumar Murder trial, Pramod Mahajan Murder trial, Gateway of India Blast case, Kherlanji Massacre of Dalit, in which six people were sentenced to death, while two others were given life imprisonment, Rathi Murder Trial, Pune, Nadeem Extradition Case, London.

In his illustrious 30 years of legal career, NIkam has handled numerous cases, and served as public prosecutor for important trials at state as well as national level. He has secured 613 life imprisonments and 33 death penalties. He has been provided with Z-plus security by government of India due to his involvement in high profile trials.

While thinking about Shri Nikam Saheb, I automatically went in the past. It was in 2003-04 that I first met Shri Nikam. I was sitting in the then Minister Sureshdada Jain’s cabin in Mantralaya in Mumbai. There was one more person sitting in that cabin, seemed to be thinking about something. Curiously, I introduced myself and asked his name and, very politely he said, I am Ujjwal Nikam. I had heard and read a lot about him, but didn’t know that such high profile personality would be such simple.

After Mumbai 1993 Bomb blast results, Pune's corporator Prof Vikas Mathkari felicitiated him at Balgandharv. Pune. The auditorium was house full to see & listen Shri Nikam Saheb. He is a hero in real life. I asked him once, don't you feel scared? He said, ‘I have trust in God. God is great. He will take care’.

One day I got the information that Shri Nikam is traveling from my home town Jamkhed during his Beed-Nagar journey for Kathewadi case. I was in Pune at that time. I immediately called him up & requested him to visit my home. I thought that he will say ‘No’, I am very ‘Busy’, but I was wrong. Without hesitating he said okay. He visited my home along with his wife, body guards & commandos. There was huge curiosity in Jamkhed that who has come with such a Z security protection. In small village like Jamkhed people get fast information. He spent good time with my mother & young brother for almost more than an hour.

Through numerous interactions with Shri Nikam, I have found Shri Nikam to be an extremely intelligent person, a man of relations (he invited me for various functions such as marriage of his daughter Sharvari, marriage of his nephew etc), a fearless professional and a person in continuous pursuit of truth and justice.