Pawanraje Nimbalkar Murder Case: Sunetra Pawar’s Brother Among 8 Acquitted By Mumbai Court

A special CBI court in Mumbai on Saturday acquitted eight accused, including former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Padamsinh Patil, in the 2006 murder case of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver.

Patil, who was the principal accused in the case, is the brother of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. The verdict brings an end to a long-running legal battle nearly two decades after the killings shook Maharashtra’s political landscape.

The judgment was delivered in the presence of several interested parties, including Pawanraje’s son, Omraje Nimbalkar, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP from Dharashiv, who had been awaiting the court’s decision.

Court Questions Reliability of Key Witness

While delivering the verdict, the court raised serious concerns over the credibility of the prosecution’s key witness, who had turned approver in the case.

The court observed that a conviction could not be based solely on the testimony of the approver, particularly when the witness had repeatedly changed his statements during the course of the investigation and trial.

According to the court, the witness was considered an important link in the prosecution’s case, but the contradictions in his versions made it difficult to rely on his testimony.

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Contradictions in Statements Weakened Prosecution Case

The judge noted that the approver’s statements contained consistent inconsistencies and contradictions, undermining their evidentiary value.

The court held that the prosecution failed to establish a complete chain of circumstances required to prove the alleged criminal conspiracy beyond reasonable doubt.

As a result, the court concluded that the evidence presented was insufficient to sustain convictions against the accused.

Benefit of Doubt Extended to All Accused

Granting the benefit of doubt, the court acquitted all eight accused in the case.

The special CBI court specifically noted that the central agency had heavily relied on the approver’s testimony but failed to provide adequate corroborative evidence to support the allegations.

Without a complete and credible chain of evidence, the prosecution’s case could not meet the legal standard required for conviction, the court observed.

Case Dates Back to 2006 Highway Shooting

The case relates to the killing of Congress politician Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver, Samad Kazi, who were shot dead on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on June 3, 2006.

The double murder had attracted significant political attention in Maharashtra and led to a lengthy investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Over the years, the case remained one of the state’s most closely watched political murder trials, culminating in Saturday’s verdict acquitting all the accused.

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Political Interest Surrounds Verdict

The verdict also drew attention because of the political figures linked to the case.

Among those awaiting the outcome was Omraje Nimbalkar, Pawanraje’s son and a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP from Dharashiv. He has recently been mentioned among a group of MPs reportedly expected to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

While the court’s ruling brings legal proceedings in the case to a close, its observations on witness credibility and evidentiary standards are likely to remain central to discussions surrounding the trial.