Ujjwal Nikam opts out of Beed foeticide case

Senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam has called it quits as the special public prosecutor in the Beed female feoticide case. Sayli Udas Mankikar reports.

Senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam has called it quits as the special public prosecutor in the Beed female feoticide case.

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The government has now decided to appoint a new lawyer in the case.

Nikam, who has been the special public prosecutor in several high profile cases, sent his resignation to the home department last week saying that he was overworked.

Sources, however, said he was annoyed by the criticism of some women's rights activists over the way the case was being fought in the court.

"He sent me his resignation letter last week following which I called him up. He said he was very hurt with the statements made by some women activists did not want to continue," Patil told HT on Wednesday.

According to sources, women activists wanted that the basis of the prosecution should be provisions of the Pre-Conception And Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, which talks of gender discrimination and a girl child's rights. However, the arguments were being made on the basis of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, which question the abortion rights of mothers.

Patil said, "I told him that this was a socially important and high-profile case which needed a lawyer like him. I also asked him to ignore any statements made against him, not take it so personally and do his work. But he did not agree. Now, we have decided to go ahead and appoint another senior lawyer from the high court."

When HT contacted Nikam he confirmed that he had resigned, but refused to comment on it.