Mumbai, June 4 (Reporter) Mumbai's special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat, hired to represent the police in the Jhanvi Kukreja murder case, on Wednesday claimed that neither the state government nor the police has paid him his legal fees since 2021 when the trial began. As per the prosecution, 19-year-old Kukreja was assaulted by her boyfriend, Shree Jogdhankar, 23, and his friend, Diya Padalkar, 19, on the night of December 31, 2020, during the New Year party on the rooftop of the eight-floor building in a city suburb. Talking to UNI, Gharat said he was appointed SPP in 2021 and since then he has been representing the Mumbai police and the prosecution, but so far he has not received any payment for his services. He said he has written thrice to the police in-charge handling the matter and has also sent messages, but has not received any response. On Tuesday he moved an application in the court seeking permission to withdraw himself from the case, but the court turned down his plea saying that the trial was at a crucial juncture and that the court cannot allow such a plea by the prosecution. However, the court directed the police to consider the SPP's request expeditiously. The case is posted for hearing on June 16 for further proceedings...////...