Former Maharashtra Minister Patil acquitted in Nimbalkar murder case

On Saturday, a special CBI court in Mumbai acquitted former Maharashtra Home Minister and ex-NCP MP Padamsinh Patil, along with seven others, in the 2006 double murder case of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced it will appeal the acquittal in the Bombay High Court. Special Judge Satyanarayan Navandar said the prosecution could not prove the conspiracy. The court mainly rejected the testimony of Parasmal Jain, a key accused who turned approver, calling it doubtful and not enough to connect the accused to the crime.

The murders happened on June 3, 2006. Pawanraje Nimbalkar, a well-known Congress leader from Osmanabad, and his driver, Samad Kazi, were travelling from Mumbai to Osmanabad when two gunmen stopped their car at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai and shot them.

The attack shocked Maharashtra’s political circles because of Nimbalkar’s status and the boldness of the crime on the busy Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The Navi Mumbai police first investigated the case. Still, the Bombay High Court later handed it to the CBI after Nimbalkar’s wife filed a petition, saying she was unhappy with the local investigation.

The CBI filed its chargesheet on August 20, 2009, and a supplementary chargesheet on June 4, 2010. Padamsinh Patil, named as the main accused, was arrested in June 2009 and later released on bail. The CBI said Patil, who was then a powerful NCP leader and MLA, planned to kill his cousin Nimbalkar because of strong political and business rivalry in Osmanabad. Nimbalkar’s rising popularity was reportedly seen as a threat to Patil’s influence.

The prosecution said Patil paid about Rs 30 lakh to have Nimbalkar killed. Other accused included Latur businessman Satish Mandade and retired state excise inspector Mohan Shukla, who were allegedly involved in carrying out the contract.

Parasmal Jain, one of the accused, was pardoned and became an approver. He said he took the contract from Mandade and Shukla. The prosecution relied heavily on his testimony to link Patil to the conspiracy, but the special court found Jain’s statements unreliable and inconsistent.

The trial started in July 2011 and lasted 15 years. The special CBI court heard from 128 witnesses, including well-known anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare. Hazare’s name came up after Jain’s confession, which claimed Patil had also given a contract to have Hazare killed. Hazare told the court he had received threats from Patil.

On June 20, 2026, the court acquitted all eight accused, including 86-year-old Patil, who had attended recent hearings by ambulance. The judge said the prosecution could not prove the conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt. The court did not accept the approver’s testimony because it failed to establish the sequence of events clearly. Some reports noted that the court questioned the approver’s credibility, citing discrepancies between his financial status and the claimed payment for the contract.

Patil, a former NCP MP from Dharashiv and stepbrother of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, has always said he is innocent. The acquittal ends one of Maharashtra’s longest political murder trials, but the victim’s family is still seeking justice. The CBI said it had presented “very good evidence” against the accused and will challenge the trial court’s decision in the Bombay High Court.

The case is politically important. Pawanraje Nimbalkar was a Congress leader whose influence in Marathwada challenged established leaders. His son, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (Omraje), is now a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP from Dharashiv and has spoken out in support of efforts to seek justice.

Anna Hazare’s involvement drew greater public attention to the case and linked it to anti-corruption issues. As the CBI gets ready to appeal, the Bombay High Court will review the evidence again. For the Nimbalkar family, the search for justice continues almost twenty years after the tragedy.