Mumbai (Maharashtra), August 21: Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who has consented to be Special Public Prosecutor in the Badlapur sexual assault case, has expressed confidence that the chargesheet will be filed soon and trial will be completed in the stipulated period.
Nikam said he received an oral communication from Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Faranvis informing that he should accept the case seeing the gravity and the seriousness of the crime.
"I have consented to act as a special PP in that case. Still, I have not received government's official notification but I am optimistic that the government investigating agency will file the chargesheet very soon. Within the stipulated time, they would complete the chargesheet and then thereafter my role would begin," Nikam told ANI.
Nikam, who has been a public prosecutor in some high-profile cases, said the incident was very brutal and he can understand the people were in an angry mood and the Rail roko andolan went on for about 10 hours.
He said the police have shown their "balance" in pacifying the people. He said the rule of law is supreme in the country and the accused should also not feel that he will not be tried fairly. "I am very optimistic that the investigating agency will file the chargesheet very soon and will complete the trial within the stipulated time," he said.
Maharashtra government has formed a Special Investigation Team to investigate the sexual assault case. On Tuesday, police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the protestors gathered at the Badlapur railway station after the demonstrators blocked the railway track. As protestors blocked the track, 12 mail express trains were diverted and 30 local trains were partially cancelled.
However, the railway service resumed late at night after the police dispersed the protestors.Maharashtra Police have made some arrests and registered FIR following the massive protest over the sexual assault that led to stone-pelting, disruption of train services and lathi-charge. Officials said the situation is normal now.
