Who is Ujjwal Nikam? The Prosecutor Chosen to Lead the Ketan Agrawal Murder Case
EduLaw EditorialCase StudiesA detailed legal explainer on Ujjwal Nikam, the Special Public Prosecutor in the Ketan Agarwal murder case. Learn the role of a public prosecutor, the murder trial process in India under BNSS, BNS and BSA, evidence rules and courtroom strategy.
The EduLaw · Legal Intelligence Who is Ujjwal Nikam? The Prosecutor Chosen to Lead the Ketan Agrawal Murder Case A practical, legally grounded explainer for law students, young advocates, judiciary aspirants and citizens — covering the man, the prosecution craft, and how a high-profile murder trial really moves through Indian courts under the BNSS, BNS and BSA. Special Public Prosecutor Murder Trial Process BNSS · BNS · BSA Evidence & Strategy Updated 27 June 2026 · Reading time ~25 min · Researched from court reports & statutory text From The EduLaw Store The Advocate's Playbook — Master Bundle (2026 Edition) Drafting templates, courtroom strategy notes, evidence checklists and trial-craft material built for law students and young advocates. The perfect companion to everything explained in this article. Get the Master Bundle → On this page Quick summary Why this case matters Who is Ujjwal Nikam? Why courts trust certain prosecutors What a prosecutor actually does How a murder case moves Evidence map Courtroom strategy breakdown Lessons for young advocates Citizen explainer: what next Common myths Interactive trial timeline Interactive evidence checklist Case-law & statutes FAQ EduLaw takeaway At a glance Quick Summary Prosecutor Ujjwal Deorao Nikam Role Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Case Ketan Agarwal murder case Jurisdiction Pune Rural, Maharashtra Appointed by Govt. of Maharashtra reported Trial mode Fast-track court reported As reported by Indian media in late June 2026, the Maharashtra Government appointed veteran Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam to lead the prosecution in the Ketan Agarwal murder case after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met the victim's family in Pune. The family had sought both a fast-track trial and Nikam's appointment. 1 This article uses the case only as a live illustration; the substance below explains how prosecution actually works in an Indian murder trial. Accuracy note Investigation in the Ketan Agarwal case is ongoing. Allegations against the accused are unproven , and every person is presumed innocent until convicted. Details drawn from press reports are marked reported or noted as "yet to be officially confirmed". This piece does not assert guilt. Context Why This Case Matters According to police accounts reported in the press, 22-year-old Pune businessman Ketan Agarwal died on 18 June 2026 after a fall into a gorge near Lohagad Fort, in the Sahyadri range close to Lonavala. The incident was initially registered as an accidental death during a trek . After his family raised objections and investigators examined the circumstances, Pune Rural Police converted it into a murder probe and arrested his fiance, Siya Goyal, and Chetan Babulal Chaudhary, alleging a pre-planned conspiracy. A Pune court remanded both to police custody. 2 reported The case matters legally because it is a textbook example of how a "no eyewitness" death gets transformed into a provable murder — through circumstantial evidence, digital trails and forensic reconstruction. That is precisely the kind of case where the quality of the prosecutor decides the outcome. Note the precise age of the deceased is reported inconsistently across outlets (some say 22, others 26) and is yet to be officially confirmed . The deeper public-interest questions — how an "accident" narrative is tested, how engagement-related disputes can escalate, and how the State responds with a fast-track court — are what make it instructive for students and citizens alike. Profile Who is Ujjwal Nikam? Ujjwal Deorao Nikam (born 30 March 1953 , in Jalgaon, Maharashtra) is among India's most recognised criminal prosecutors. The son of a judge and barrister, he completed a B.Sc. before earning his law degree from S. S. Maniyar Law College, Jalgaon, and began his career as a district prosecutor in Jalgaon before rising to state and national trials. 3 Landmark prosecutions (verified) TERROR 26/11 Mumbai attacks (2008) Led the prosecution against Ajmal Kasab, the lone attacker captured alive — convicted and sentenced to death; later executed. 3 TERROR 1993 Bombay serial blasts Appeared in the long-running TADA trial arising from the 12 March 1993 explosions. 3 MURDER Gulshan Kumar murder (1997) Prosecuted the killing of the music-industry figure shot outside an Andheri temple. 3 MURDER Pramod Mahajan murder (2006) Prosecution following the fatal shooting of the BJP leader; the accused was sentenced to life. 3 SEX OFFENCE Shakti Mills gang rape (2013) SPP in the Mumbai case in which repeat offenders were sentenced. 3 SEX OFFENCE Kopardi rape & murder (2016) SPP in the Ahmednagar-district case; the sessions court awarded death to three convicts. 3 Recognition & public roles Nikam was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016 . In July 2025 he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu in the category of distinguished contribution to law,