Public prosecutor Nikam of Kasab ‘biryani' fame, former FS Shringla among 4 nominated to Rajya Sabha
Ujjwal Nikam
, who fought several high profile cases including that against
26/11 terror attack
accused
Ajmal Kasab
, murder of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan and the 1993 Mumbai blasts, has been nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha. President of India has also nominated former foreign secretary
Harsh Vardhan Shringla
, Indic historian
Meenakshi Jain
and BJP activist
C Sadanandan Master
to the Upper House.
In a press statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that President Droupadi Murmu has nominated these four people under Article 80 (1) (a), read with Clause 3 of Article, of the Constitution. There are only six nominated members at present in the Rajya Sabha while the maximum strength in this category is 12 members.
Nikam, who became a BJP member after retirement and unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 from the Mumbai North Central seat against Congress candidate Varsha Gaikwad, has fought several high-profile cases as public prosecutor. After the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, he represented the government in the case against terrorist Ajmal Kasab who was later hanged for his heinous act. At one point during the trial, Nikam had stated that Kasab has been demanding biryani in jail. Later, Nikam revealed that he had spread this canard as some sections were getting sympathetic to Kasab. Only vegetarian food is served in Indian jails.
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Nikam was a surprise choice for the Mumbai North Central seat as BJP had replaced sitting MP Poonam Mahajan and given him the ticket. Incidentally, Nikam had fought her father Pramod Mahajan's murder case and ensured the conviction of the guilty.
Other famous cases handled by Nikam as a public prosecutor includes the serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993 in the wake of the Babri mosque demolition. Gangster Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon and his brother Yakub were among those involved. Yakub Memon was hanged for the crime.
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Nikam also fought the case against those accused in the murder of Gulshan Kumar, head of music company T-Series.
Harsh Shringla (63) is a career diplomat who served as India's foreign secretary from January 29, 2020 to April 30, 2022. He was appointed chief coordinator for the G-20 Summit hosted by India in 2023. Fluent in Nepalese, Shringla is an IFS of the 1984 batch. He has served as the Indian Ambassador to the US and Thailand, and as High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
Meenakshi Jain is a right-wing academic who has worked on medieval Indian history. She is a respected figure in the field of education, literature, history and political science. Congratulating her, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
said, 'She has distinguished herself as a scholar, researcher and historian. Her work in the field of education, literature, history and political science have enriched academic discourse significantly…'
C Sadanandan Master is a BJP member from Kerala. Both his legs were hacked, allegedly by CPI(M) activists, in Kannur during a violent political protest. 'C Sadanandan Master's life is the epitome of courage and refusal to bow to injustice. Violence and intimidation couldn't deter his spirit towards national development. His efforts as a teacher and social worker are also commendable. He is extremely passionate towards youth empowerment. …' Modi said.
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