Two significant phone calls altered Ujjwal Nikam's life trajectory, one from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the other from the Mumbai Police. Prime Minister Modi not only reached out but also inquired whether to converse in Marathi or Hindi. Subsequently, the entire discussion was in Marathi, about which Nikam remarked that 'the Prime Minister speaks Marathi very fluently.' On X, Prime Minister Modi commended Nikam's legal career, stating that he has bolstered the justice and dignity of ordinary citizens. Modi mentioned that Shri Ujjwal Nikam's dedication to the law and the Constitution is exemplary. He has not only been a successful lawyer but has also been at the forefront of the fight for justice in numerous significant cases. This is not a long-standing relationship. Ujjwal Nikam's initial encounter with Prime Minister Modi occurred in 2024, when he was a BJP candidate in the Lok Sabha elections. Nikam stated that he has been inspired by Modi ji's speeches. He is a genuine patriot and can instill patriotism in the hearts of ordinary people as well. That is why I joined the BJP and ran for election. However, he lost that election. The state BJP unit nominated him for the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North-Central, where Varsha Gaikwad of the Congress defeated him by over 16,000 votes.
In 2025, Nikam was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, a decision that changed the direction of his life. The once famous special public prosecutor has now become a member of the Rajya Sabha. On his nomination, Nikam says that it is 'God's grace'. However, the opposition attacked this nomination fiercely. Congress alleged that this appointment shows that the ruling party is misusing constitutional institutions for political gain. Nikam worked indirectly for the BJP and now he has been rewarded. Rejecting these allegations, Nikam said that his nomination has been done from the President's quota and this proves that he is not a representative of any political party. It is unfair to question the nomination of Ujjwal Nikam. He may have links with the BJP but this cannot question his efficiency. His record as a public prosecutor has been unmatched. His first major legal career began with the 1991 Kalyan blast, but the series of bomb blasts in Mumbai brought him real recognition. After this, the 2003 Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar twin blasts, the murder of music legend Gulshan Kumar, the case of extradition of his alleged killer musician Nadeem from London in 2024, the Khairlanji Dalit massacre of 2006 and the Shakti Mills gang rape case of 2013, all these cases remained in the headlines and resonated at the national and international level.
Nikam's reputation was such that in many cases, the aggrieved parties and their families themselves sought his help to plead their cases. The latest example was the brutal murder of Beed's Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in December, when the family insisted on Nikam's appointment as special public prosecutor. Ironically, the main accused arrested in this murder was allegedly close to a BJP minister, who later had to resign due to public outrage. The story of Ujjwal Nikam's life is as interesting as it is inspiring. Nikam, who hails from Jalgaon in Maharashtra, dreamt of creating 'fear' of his name among the people.
An incident changed his way of thinking and still haunts him. As a lawyer, he initially used to plead cases of cooperative institutions, but the intervention of a political powerhouse turned him towards criminal cases. It so happened that a corporator, who was accused of killing an innocent in broad daylight, got bail from the court. This was a big blow for Nikam. According to him, 'that corporator had political connections and that was the reason he got bail.' Not only did Nikam get his bail cancelled, but this incident also made him think that from now on he would fight cases against criminals. In his words, 'I wanted criminals to fear my name.'
Today, the situation is such that it is difficult to imagine any high-profile case being mentioned without Ujjwal Nikam's stamp on it. So far, he has got to his credit more than 30 death sentences and 600 life sentences. After any major crime incident in Maharashtra, the first demand of the victim families is that Ujjwal Nikam be appointed as the public prosecutor. He jokingly calls himself 'the antibiotic of the state government'. The truth is that whenever public anger erupts on any matter, Nikam's appointment often calms the situation. Nikam, who fought the case against 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab, has been the most sought-after prosecutor of state governments and leaders.
But this path was not easy. Nikam, who started his law practice from a small town, had a very tough journey from Mumbai to Delhi. After the Mumbai serial bomb blasts in 1993, he received a call from Mumbai Police, which was unexpected for Nikam. He wondered, 'Why did I mention this to my mother?' She said in a panic, 'Don't go, they will kill you.' This reaction of his mother, who had participated in the freedom struggle, was shocking, but her concern about her son's safety was natural. Born on Hanuman Jayanti, Nikam was always known for his fearlessness. Finally, he reached Mumbai and met the state police there, whose working style he considers to be like 'Scotland Yard'. However, the first reaction of the police officers was not encouraging. In Nikam's words, 'A skinny boy, has come from a small town, looks lost in thoughts, what will he do? I was completely unaware, they had doubts about my ability, but finally they expressed satisfaction.