The CBI on Tuesday ruled out any foul play in the death of Union Minister Gopinath Munde in June this year with the investigation pointing out that the leader succumbed due to the injuries sustained in the fatal car accident.
Munde, 64, a BJP stalwart from Maharashtra who was given the rural development portfolio in the NDA Government, was on his way to Indira Gandhi Airport early in the morning on June 3 when his car was hit by another vehicle at the Prithviraj Road-Tughlak Road roundabout in the heart of the lutyen’s zone.
The agency has relied on the autopsy report and background check of the accused driver before ruling out any criminal conspiracy behind the death of Munde. Soon after his death, doctors at AIIMS had said that Munde died due to shock and haemorrhage following injuries to his neck and liver in the accident. “Investigation was conducted to find out if any foul play or criminal conspiracy was involved in the death of Munde.
During the probe a through scrutiny of all possible leads and angles were conducted,” sources said. “The antecedents and movements of suspected persons and all those associated with the Minister were verified. However, the probe has clearly ruled out any foul play in the death of Munde and it has been concluded that he died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident,” the sources added.
Delhi Police had registered a case against 32-year-old Gurvinder Singh, the driver of the taxi whose car that had allegedly hit Munde’s vehicle. Investigation into the antecedents and background of the taxi driver has not yielded anything suspicious against him but probe will continue to establish his culpability in connection with other offences committed by him
The CBI had registered a case for rash driving and for causing death by negligence against unknown persons relating to the accidental death. The agency had taken over the investigations from the Delhi Police a fortnight after the accident occurred following a recommendation of the Union Home Ministry to the effect. The move to hand over the probe to the CBI was taken after a number of political leaders including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari demanded a probe by the Central investigative agency.