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After being appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor in the Ketan Agarwal murder case in Maharashtra, Senior Advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam on Friday said he accepted the responsibility following a request from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the victim's family.
Nikam said he received a call from the Chief Minister this afternoon, who informed him that the Agarwal family had met him and sought his appointment in the case. He added that the Chief Minister also described the matter as a challenge for Maharashtra and urged him to take up the responsibility, after which he agreed. Speaking to ANI in Mumbai, Nikam said, "The entire nation has been shaken by this murder. This afternoon, I received a call from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He informed me that the Agarwal family had met him and requested that I be appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor in this case. The Chief Minister told me that this poses a challenge for Maharashtra, and he, too, requested that I serve as the Special Public Prosecutor for the matter. I agreed." He added that Chief Minister Fadnavis has always stressed the need for utmost dedication in such matters, saying the rule of law must be upheld in the state. "The police investigation is currently underway; we will only be able to disclose the status of the investigation once the charge sheet has been filed. This is a significant responsibility, as I have handled and continue to handle many such cases in the state of Maharashtra. The Chief Minister has always emphasised the need for us to work with utmost dedication. The rule of law must be upheld in Maharashtra, and with that sentiment in mind, I told the Chief Minister, "Yes, I will certainly look into this," he further added. Earlier in the day, the father of Ketan Agarwal met Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis in Pune and demanded justice in the case. During the meeting, the Chief Minister assured the family that strict action would be taken against the accused and that no effort would be spared in ensuring justice. The government has approved the demand for setting up a fast-track court and appointing senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor in the case. Ketan Agarwal died on June 18 after falling from Lohagad Fort near Pune. Police are investigating it as a suspected murder case. His fiancee, Siya Goyal, and her friend, Chetan Chaudhary, have been arrested and are currently in police custody as the probe continues. (ANI)
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