Sunetra Pawar's brother among eight acquitted by CBI court

Mumbai: A special CBI court on Saturday acquitted former MP and NCP leader Padamsinh Patil, brother of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, along with seven others in the 2006 murder of Congress leader Pavanraje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi.

Nearly two decades after the killings, Special Judge Satyanarayan Navandar held that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt and that the evidence on record was insufficient to convict the accused.


The prosecution alleged that Patil had orchestrated the murder of his cousin Nimbalkar because of political and business rivalry.

According to the CBI, Nimbalkar was travelling from Mumbai to Pune in his Skoda car on June 3, 2006, when another vehicle intercepted him. The agency alleged that Parasmal Badala Jain, Dinesh Tiwari and Pintusingh Chaudhary got out of the vehicle and, after confirming Nimbalkar's identity with driver Kazi, shot both men dead.

The case was initially investigated by Navi Mumbai Police. However, the Nimbalkar family alleged that the probe was deliberately weakened and evidence destroyed. The vehicle allegedly used in the crime was later found burnt, eliminating potential forensic evidence. Following a petition by the family, the investigation was transferred to the CBI.

The CBI's case rested substantially on the testimony of Parasmal Jain, who turned approver after his arrest. The agency alleged that Jain had accepted a contract to eliminate Nimbalkar and had arranged the shooters.

However, the court found significant inconsistencies between Jain's statements and the material evidence. Judge Navandar observed that the prosecution's case was largely dependent on the approver's testimony, which could not be relied upon. The court also noted Jain's claim that he was tortured in police custody to obtain a confession.

The verdict has political significance as Nimbalkar's son, Omraje Nimbalkar, is among the six Lok Sabha MPs who are reportedly set to join the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.