The Maharashtra government has appointed Senior Advocate and Rajya Sabha member Ujjwal Nikam as the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) to conduct the prosecution in the alleged murder case of Ketan Agarwal, who died after falling from a cliff near Lohagad Fort in Pune district earlier this month.
The State has also approved the constitution of a fast-track court to facilitate the expeditious trial of the criminal prosecution.
The decision was taken after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Ketan Agarwal’s father, Vishal Agarwal, in Pune following the family’s request for the appointment of a Special Public Prosecutor and the constitution of a fast-track court to ensure speedy justice. The Chief Minister assured the family that the State would ensure that those found guilty receive the maximum punishment permissible under law and that no effort would be spared in securing justice.
Accepting the family’s demands, the Chief Minister immediately approved the proposal for a fast-track trial and the appointment of Nikam as the Special Public Prosecutor. He also directed the Secretary of the Law and Judiciary Department to complete the necessary administrative formalities. Nikam subsequently conveyed his consent to conduct the prosecution on behalf of the State.
Confirming his appointment, Nikam said he accepted the responsibility after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed him that the victim’s family had sought his appointment in the case. He described the incident as one that had shaken the nation and said conducting the prosecution was a significant responsibility.
He added that the police investigation was still underway and that the evidentiary position would become clear only after the filing of the police charge sheet before the competent court. Stressing that the rule of law must prevail, Nikam said he agreed to undertake the prosecution with the objective of ensuring justice.
Ketan Agarwal died on June 18 after falling from Lohagad Fort near Lonavala in Pune district. The police are investigating the incident as a case of alleged murder. According to the prosecution’s case, Agarwal was allegedly pushed off the cliff by his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and her alleged lover, Chetan Babulal Chaudhary. Both accused have been arrested and remain in police custody while the investigation is in progress.
The Lonavala Rural Police have stated that the investigation is progressing and statements of several witnesses have already been recorded during the investigation, while additional witnesses continue to be examined, including Siya Goyal’s brother. The investigating agency has also informed that it has been receiving full cooperation from the victim’s family.
The investigating agency further stated that forensic assistance is being utilised to collect and analyse all available scientific evidence in accordance with the prescribed investigative procedure. It added that appropriate applications regarding custody and further investigation would be moved before the jurisdictional court based on the material collected during the course of the investigation.
Nikam has served as Special Public Prosecutor in several landmark criminal prosecutions, including the 1993 Bombay serial bomb blasts case, the murder trial of music baron Gulshan Kumar, and the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case involving Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab.
He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2024 and stepped down from his ongoing prosecutorial assignments before contesting the Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North Central. Following the election, the Maharashtra government reappointed him to his prosecutorial responsibilities. In July 2025, President Droupadi Murmu nominated him to the Rajya Sabha.
The post Lohagarh Fort murder case: Maharashtra appoints Ujjwal Nikam as Special Public Prosecutor appeared first on India Legal.