Advocate Pradip Gharat, the special public prosecutor in the 2021 murder trial of 19-year-old Jhanvi Kukreja, has informed the Mumbai sessions court that he has not received any payment for his services over the past four years. Despite examining 39 witnesses, with only three police officers remaining, Gharat stated he has written multiple times to the Khar police station for payment updates without receiving any response. He has warned that he may withdraw from the case if his dues are not addressed. This issue of unpaid dues has occurred previously, including in the 2016 murder trial of Ashwini Bidre-Gore and an economic offences case from the same year.

Kukreja was found murdered on January 1, 2021, at a New Year’s party in Khar. Her friends Diya Padalkar and Shree Jogdhankar are accused, with Padalkar currently on bail and Jogdhankar in jail. Gharat also serves as special public prosecutor for the CBI in cases against gangster Chhota Rajan, who is serving a life sentence for the 2011 murder of journalist J Dey.

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