Latur, Nagpur:
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, in charge of the 26/11 trial, made a startling claim in Latur on Monday when he said a former Union Minister tried to pressure him to wrap up the trial quickly by filing separate cases for each of the 26/11 attacks, as that could help in the Parliamentary elections.
The statement has caused many eyebrows to be raised and the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker has asked the government to enquire into Nikam's claims and respond by Tuesday.
It was a speech meant to educate college students in Latur on terrorism, but what tumbled out was perhaps information that Ujjwal Nikam had not planned to share.
Was an attempt made to use the 26/11 trial for political benefit ahead of the Parliamentary elections? Did a former union minister tell the 26/11 prosecutor to speed up the trial hoping to earn brownie points?
If Nikam's to be believed - yes.
Nikam said in his speech: "After the 26/11 attack, I was told since there have been 12 separate crimes, file 12 separate cases. Because, 'say the CST case will take a month and a half for a verdict, that will help us in the Parliamentary elections that are coming up.' A Union Minister had told me this. Not a current one, an earlier one."
While the Congress seems willing to give Nikam the benefit of doubt, the NCP, which holds the Home portfolio, hasn't taken kindly to the statement.
"He is a government pleader and for him to make such a statement is serious. If such a thing was said he should have reported it earlier when it was said. If he's doing it now it seems like he's doing it more for publicity," said Jeetendra Ahwad, NCP MLA.
Nikam, who claims he's being quoted out of context, will now have to come up with a better explanation. That too quickly.