Key facts
- Ujjwal Nikam appointed government lawyer in Pune fort murder case
- CM Fadnavis personally called Nikam to request he take up the case
- Fast-track trial assured by Fadnavis
- Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary accused of murdering Ketan Agarwal at Sinhagad Fort
- Police say accused deleted chats twice; blackmail angle under probe
Maharashtra has deployed its most formidable legal weapon in the Pune fort murder case: Ujjwal Nikam, the prosecutor who secured the conviction and death sentence of 26/11 attacker Ajmal Kasab, has been appointed as the government's special lawyer to represent the state against accused Siya Goyal.
Nikam confirmed that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis personally telephoned him and asked him to take up the case — an unusually direct political intervention that underscores the gravity with which the state is viewing this sensational crime. Fadnavis has also promised the victim's family that justice will be served and has agreed to pursue a fast-track trial, a commitment that will be watched closely given the media and public pressure surrounding the case.
The case centres on the alleged murder of Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal, who was pushed to his death from Sinhagad Fort, with his fiancée Siya Goyal and her alleged boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary both under investigation. Police have revealed that Goyal and Chaudhary deleted their chat history twice, while investigators are also probing whether Chaudhary blackmailed Goyal into committing the act. Ketan's family has rejected what media have called the 'wig theory' as a suggested motive, and his father has publicly stated that Siya was aware Ketan wore a wig patch.
With Nikam on the prosecution bench and a fast-track trial in the offing, the case is heading towards a high-profile legal confrontation. The involvement of a prosecutor of Nikam's stature is seen as a message that the state intends to pursue conviction with maximum rigour.