Mumbai: A Mumbai special court on Saturday acquitted former Maharashtra home minister Padamsinh Patil and seven others in the 2006 murder case of Maharashtra Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver.
Special CBI court judge Satyanaryan Navandar said the prosecution failed to prove the chain of conspiracy.
The prosecution primarily relied on the testimony of the accused-turned-approver Parasmal Jain. However, the court found his testimony doubtful and discarded it, saying it did not prove the chain of events.
Patil, a former NCP MP and stepbrother of Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, and seven other accused faced the murder trial.
Pawanraje Nimbalkar’s son Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar is currently a Lok Sabha member from the Shiv Sena (UBT).
On June 3, 2006, Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver, Samad Kazi, were on their way from Mumbai to Osmanabad (now Dharashiv), when two hitmen intercepted their car at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai and opened fire, killing both of them on the spot.
The Navi Mumbai police initially probed the case, but the Bombay High Court later transferred it to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after Pawanraje Nimbalkar’s wife expressed dissatisfaction over the progress of the investigation.
Patil was arrested in June 2009 after the central probe agency took over the case. However, a sessions court in Alibaug (Raigad district) granted him bail in September that year.
Besides Patil, the other accused in the case include Latur-based businessman Satish Mandade, retired state excise inspector Mohan Shukla and the shooters.
As per the CBI, Patil, the prime accused in the case, is alleged to have hatched the criminal conspiracy and paid the contract money to eliminate his cousin Pawanraje Nimbalkar due to intense political and business rivalry.
The prosecution alleged that Parasmal Jain initially accepted the contract of Rs 30 lakh from Mohan Shukla and Satish Mandade to kill Pawanraje Nimbalkar. He was later granted a pardon and turned approver against the other accused.
The case trial began in July 2011. During the 15-year-long trial, the special court examined as many as 128 witnesses, including anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare.
Hazare’s name came up in the case after Jain’s confession that Patil had simultaneously given a contract to eliminate the activist.
Hazare had testified about receiving threats from Patil.
Timeline of Pawanraje Nimbalkar Murder Case
June 3, 2006: Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi were shot dead in a car at Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai. Local police and state CID handled the initial probe.
October 23, 2008: The Bombay High Court transfers the investigation to CBI as the late Nimbalkar’s family expresses dissatisfaction over the probe.
June 7, 2009: The CBI arrested then NCP MP Padamsinh Patil for plotting and funding the murder. Subsequently, eight other accused were also arrested.
August 2009: The CBI filed a 5,000-page charge sheet against nine accused- Patil, Sat?ish Mandade, Mohan Shukla, Parasmal Jain, Dinesh Tiwari, Mahatam Chaudhary alias Pintu Chaudhary, Kailash Yadav, Gyanendra Pandey alias Dhirendra Pandey alias Chhote Pandey, and Shashikant Kulkarni.
Later, Jain turned approver and recorded his testimony in favour of the prosecution in 2021.
September 2009: Padamsinh Patil granted bail by the Alibaug sessions court.
July 2011: The trial commences, after framing of charges.
November 2012: The Supreme Court transfers the case to Mumbai from Alibaug as many witnesses turned hostile.
July 2019: Anna Hazare deposes as a prosecution witness. The anti-corruption activist testifies that he came to know about the double murder through the media and that a contract was given to the shooters to eliminate him, too.
July 2025: Examination of prosecution witness completed, summonses issued to the defence witnesses
May 14, 2026: Matter listed for verdict after over a decade-long trial where the prosecution examined 128 witnesses. Adjourned as Padamsinh Patil and co-accused Mohan Shukla fail to appear, citing severe health issues.
June 16, 2026: The court adjourns the matter as the judge says he needs more time to complete the judgment.
June 20, 2026: All eight accused acquitted as court finds approver’s testimony doubtful
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
