Mohsin's family wants Rohini Salian as SPP in the murder case

The family of Mohsin Shaikh, killed in 2014 allegedly by Hindu Rashtra Sena members, has sought appointment of Rohini Salian as special public prosecutor in the case.

The demand came days after noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam withdrew as special public prosecutor from the case.

The family has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking Salian's appointment as special public prosecutor in the case.

In 2016, Salian had withdrawn from 2008 Malegaon blast case alleging that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had asked her to "go soft on the accused" in the case.

Shaikh (28), a software engineer, was attacked and killed on June 2, 2014 allegedly by Hindu Rashtra Sena members in Hadapsar area.
 

"In view of the cancellation of appointment of Advocate Nikam as special public prosecutor in the Mohsin murder case, we have written a letter to Fadnavis, seeking appointment of Advocate Salian in the case," said Mohsin's father Sadique Shaikh.

Shaikh, while talking to PTI, said he has already spoken to Salian and she is positive about appearing in the case further.

"So we request the CM to give confirmation to our request," he said.

The state government last month cancelled appointment of Nikam as prosecutor in the case based on his request.

A notification by Maharashtra's Law and Judiciary Department said it had withdrawn its order appointing Nikam as special public prosecutor, on his request, in the case pending before a Pune court.

After the development, Sadique Shaikh had requested Nikam to reconsider his decision.

Around 20 people, including HRS chief Dhananjay Desai, were arrested in connection with the case.

The Bombay High Court granted bail to three accused -- Vijay Gambhire, Ganesh Yadav and Ajay Lalge -- on January 17 while observing that the trio seemed to be provoked in the name of religion.

Police had suspected that the incident was a fallout of violent protests in Pune over derogatory pictures of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji and the late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on a social networking site.