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Rajkummar Rao plays special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam in Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam, which released in theatres on Friday. During a conversation with Abhi and Niyu to promote the film, Nikam recalled details from the trial of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab, including his claim that he had come to Mumbai because he was a fan of Bollywood films. Nikam also spoke about the intercepted conversations between the attackers and their handlers, which became part of the prosecution’s evidence.
Kasab was the only attacker captured alive during the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. He was convicted and sentenced to death, with the Supreme Court upholding his conviction and sentence in 2012.
Ujjwal Nikam recalls Ajmal Kasab’s statement in court
Recalling Kasab’s statement before the court, Nikam said the accused had admitted his guilt but claimed that he had not personally killed people and that his associate Abu Ismail was responsible for the killings.
“He told the court that he accepted his guilt, but claimed that he had not killed the people himself. He said that Abu Ismail, who was with him, had carried out the killings. He also said that he had come to Mumbai because he was fond of watching Bollywood films,” Nikam recalled.
Nikam said he did not accept Kasab’s plea and decided to present the evidence gathered against him.
“He was not accepting his full role. He was saying that he had come to Mumbai, but he could not be sentenced to death. I told the court that I was not accepting his plea and that I would present all the evidence against him,” Nikam said.
Nikam had earlier shared a similar detail during his appearance on Kaun Banega Crorepati 18, where he recalled Kasab claiming that he had come to Mumbai because he was a fan of Hindi films and wanted to visit Amitabh Bachchan’s house.
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Ujjwal Nikam on intercepted calls between Taj attackers and handlers
Nikam also recalled how intercepted phone conversations between the terrorists inside the Taj Mahal Palace hotel and their handlers helped investigators establish what was happening during the attacks.
He described an incident in which people were held hostage inside a room at the hotel. The attackers were using mobile phones to communicate with their handlers, who were giving them instructions.
“The handlers asked them how many people they had captured. The attacker replied, ‘Sir, there are three people here. One is a clerk, one is a waiter and one is a teacher.’ The handler then told him to ask the teacher which school he taught at and to remove their clothes, leaving them in their underwear,” Nikam recalled.
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According to Nikam, the handler instructed the attacker to question the man further about his claim that he was a teacher.
“The handler called him an idiot and told him to beat the man and ask him how a teacher could afford to stay in a five-star hotel. He said the man could not possibly be a teacher. After being beaten, the hostage revealed that he was actually a bank chairman,” Nikam said.
Nikam said he later recorded the bank chairman’s statement, but the witness was initially afraid to testify.
“I recorded the bank chairman’s statement. When it was time for him to testify, he was frightened and said he would not give evidence. I told him that he had to testify. We had the intercepted conversation, and he had done nothing wrong,” Nikam recalled.
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About Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam
Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam stars Rajkummar Rao as the prosecutor who represented the state in the trial against Kasab. Directed by Avinash Arun, the film explores Nikam’s professional journey and the legal battle that brought him national recognition. Wamiqa Gabbi plays his wife, Jyoti, while Lalit Prabhakar portrays Kasab.
The 2008 Mumbai terror attacks killed 166 people and left hundreds injured. The subsequent trial became one of the most closely watched criminal cases in India, with Nikam leading the prosecution against Kasab, whose conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court.
