Hema Upadhyay murder: Ujjwal Nikam appears in court

Well-known advocate Ujjwal Nikam, who was appointed special public prosecutor in the Kandivali double murder case in which artist Hema Upadhyay was killed along with her lawyer Haresh Bhambani, on Thursday appeared in the Dindoshi sessions court.

Mr Nikam was appointed special public prosecutor in the case a month ago on June 14 by the home department. On Thursday, he filed his papers in court which were accepted by Judge F.M. Khawaja. Later, Mr Nikam informed the court that he needed time to go through details of the case. The chargesheet in the case was filed on March 11 this year, and it was reported around that time that the police would recommend appointment of Mr Nikam as special public prosecutor in the case.

Another public prosecutor Datta Mudiganti and advocate Vinod Gangwal, who were representing Hema’s family had applied, rejecting transfer of investigation of the case to crime branch by the police commissioner, so the sessions court would have to wait before delivering any order for the high court’s order on the matter. Thereafter, the hearing was adjourned till August 8.

The Dindoshi sessions court was hearing the application of accused Pradeep Rajbhar’s lawyer who claimed that Rajbhar’s approver statement was taken forcefully by the police. Also, a hearing on Chintan Upadhyay, the deceased Hema’s husband currently in jail, over the police not handcuffing him, took place.

Kadar Sayani, representing the Borivali Bar Association, for the deceased Bhambani, while arguing on the plea of Pradeep Rajbhar’s lawyer, said that there was no scope for the police to threaten the accused as the latter had turned approver just before filing of the chargesheet.