Pawanraje Nimbalkar murder case: CBI to challenge in HC trial court's acquittal of accused

NEW DELHI: The CBI will move the Bombay High Court against the acquittal of former Maharashtra home minister Padamsinh Patil and seven others in the murder case of state Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver, officials here said on Saturday.

"As the CBI had brought out very good evidence against the accused in the case, the CBI will be challenging the judgement of the trial court before the high court," a Central Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said.

"During the course of trial, one accused was made approver," the spokesperson said.

On June 3, 2006, Nimbalkar and his driver, Samad Kazi, were on their way from Mumbai to Osmanabad (now Dharashiv), when two gunmen intercepted their car at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai and shot them dead.

The Navi Mumbai police initially probed the case, but the Bombay High Court later transferred it to the CBI after Nimbalkar's wife expressed dissatisfaction over the progress of the investigation.

The central agency filed a chargesheet on August 20, 2009, and followed it up with a supplementary chargesheet on June 4, 2010.

The prosecution primarily relied on the testimony of the accused-turned-approver, Parasmal Jain. However, the court discarded it.

Patil, a former NCP MP and stepbrother of Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, was arrested in June 2009 after the CBI took over the case.

According to the CBI, Patil, the prime accused in the case, is alleged to have hatched the criminal conspiracy and paid contract money to eliminate Nimbalkar, his cousin, due to intense political and business rivalry.

The trial began in July 2011. During the 15-year-long trial, the special court examined 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.