Padamsinh Patil Acquitted In 2006 Murder Case
A special CBI court in Mumbai has acquitted former Maharashtra home minister Padamsinh Patil and seven others in the 2006 murder case of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi, nearly two decades after the killings.
Padamsinh Patil Acquitted In Murder Case
Special CBI judge Satyanarayan Navandar acquitted all eight accused after holding that the prosecution had failed to prove the alleged conspiracy beyond reasonable doubt. Patil, a former NCP leader and former MP, had been named as a key accused in the case.
The court found gaps in the prosecution’s case and questioned the reliability of the evidence presented during the long-running trial. The case had seen the examination of more than 120 witnesses over several years.
Pawanraje Nimbalkar Murder Case
Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi were shot dead on June 3, 2006, near Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai while travelling from Mumbai towards Osmanabad, now called Dharashiv.
The case was initially investigated by local police before being transferred to the CBI after Nimbalkar’s family expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of the probe. Patil was arrested in 2009 and later granted bail.
CBI To Challenge Acquittal
The CBI is expected to challenge the acquittal before the Bombay High Court. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the matter had been discussed with senior leaders and that the central agency would take legal steps against the trial court verdict.
Nimbalkar’s son, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, who is now a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, has also expressed disappointment over the acquittal and questioned who was responsible for the killings.
