Murder accused moves court against appointment of Ujjwal Nikam as SPP; cites latter's BJP LS foray

Mumbai, Jun 24 (PTI) Multiple murder accused gangster Vijay Palande on Monday moved court against the fresh appointment of lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as special public prosecutor in his case, saying it was made with "malafide intention".

Palande, in his plea, claimed Nikam's "identity, views, agenda, intention, motive all totally changed in the public eye as now he is a favoured upper cadre leader of BJP".

Nikam had contested the recently concluded Lok Sabha election as BJP candidate from the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency. He lost to Congress' Varsha Gaikwad by more than 16,000 votes.

Nikam recently re-appeared as special public prosecutor in the case against Palande.

"The fresh appointment of Nikam by the BJP led government in the state is for extraneous consideration, made with malafide intention to promote Nikam and to campaign through him. Nikam's identity, views, agenda, intention, motive all has been totally changed in public eye as now he is a favoured upper cadre leader of BJP," Palande said in his plea.

"He will now act for the agenda of the political party. He may go to any extent for getting false convictions in famous high-profile cases to make BJP's image in public through him, which is against the fundamental rights of the accused," the plea said.

Palande sought the court's direction to keep Nikam away from the case against him in the interest of justice and fundamental rights.

He urged the court to direct the authority concerned to cancel the appointment of Nikam.

The matter will be next heard on June 28.

Palande is in judicial custody since April 2012 following his arrest for allegedly murdering Delhi businessman Arun Tikku and film producer Karankumar Kakkad. PTI AVI BNM