Ujjwal Nikam (born 30 March 1953) is an Indian special public prosecutor who has worked on prominent murder and terrorism cases. He helped prosecute suspects in the 1993 Bombay bombings, the Gulshan Kumar murder case, the Pramod Mahajan murder case, and the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He was also the special public prosecutor in the 2013 Mumbai gang rape case, 2016 Kopardi rape and murder case. Ujjwal Nikam argued on behalf of the state during the 26/11 Mumbai attack trial. Nikam was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2016. He has been given a security detail with a classification of Z+, the second highest level of security in India. He was fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from Mumbai North Central candidate during the 2024 Indian general election, he lost by a margin of 16,514 votes (1.81%).

Early life and education

Nikam was born in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, to Marathi parents. His father, Deoraoji Nikam, was a judge and barrister, and his mother was a homemaker. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree, he earned a law degree from the K.C.E. Society's S. S. Maniyar Law College in Jalgaon. His son, Aniket, is also a criminal lawyer in High Court Mumbai.

Career

Nikam began his career as a district prosecutor in Jalgaon and worked his way up to state and national trials. In a 30-year career, he has secured 628 life imprisonments and 37 death penalties.

Rape and murder cases

Terrorism cases

In December 2010, Nikam represented the Government of India at a worldwide convention on terrorism held at the United Nations in New York.

In popular culture

In 2017, Nikam's life story was made into a film, Aadesh - Power of Law.