NCP leader Padamsinh Patil and seven others acquitted in Nimbalkar murder case

Citing lack of credible evidence, a sessions court in Mumbai on Saturday (June 20, 2026) acquitted all eight accused, including Lok Sabha MP and senior Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) leader Padamsinh Patil, of the 2006 murder of former MLA Pawanraj by his driver Nimbal.

The court pointed out numerous flaws in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation, including unreliable witnesses, missing mobile phone records and inconsistent statements.

Of the nine previously accused, one person became an approver.

Nimbalkar and his driver were shot dead by two assailants in Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai on 3 June 2006. Mr Patil and other accused, who allegedly hatched a plot to kill Nimbalkar for a sum of ₹25 lakh, are acquitted after two decades. The prosecution failed to prove the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the court said.

Apart from Mr. Patil (86), the other accused are Satish Mandade, Mohan Shukla, Shashikant Kulkarni, Kailash Yadav, Dinesh Tiwari, Pintu Singh (the main shooter) and Chhote Pandey.

The then sitting MP, Mr. Patil, was arrested by the CBI three years after the incident on June 6, 2009, securing bail on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh a few months later after the charge sheet was filed.

After Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to look into the case, the CBI is set to challenge the verdict in the Bombay High Court.

“Since the CBI has produced very good evidence against the accused in the case, the CBI will challenge the judgment of the trial court in the Supreme Court,” the CBI said in a statement on Saturday (June 20, 2026).

One of the primary reasons for the acquittal was the unreliability of a key witness, the accused, who later became an approver. That approver had lied in the past, the court said. The witness owned several properties and had considerable assets, so it was unlikely that he would have committed such an offense for an amount of ₹50,000, the court said, adding that the witness’s version of events could not be believed.

The investigation also suffered from significant procedural flaws. The police did not seize the cell phones of the accused or obtain records of their calls that could clarify if the accused were in contact with each other, the court said, calling the absence of such records a major deficiency.

Additionally, the approver’s description of his movements on the day of the murder changed several times. In his statements, he gave four different versions of the route he traveled. Contradictions and frequent changes made the approver’s testimony unreliable, the court said.

Irregularities also appeared regarding the vehicle used to commit the crime. The car was completely burnt, but the arrest report listed its color as green. How could the color be determined from the burnt vehicle, the court asked. Information about where the vehicle was found also varied. One witness said the vehicle was found near a small house, another said it was found near a bungalow, while police records showed it was found in an open field. These discrepancies make the investigation suspect, the court said.

The key witness also claimed that he met former police commissioner Rakesh Maria and gave him a bottle of Scotch whisky. Mr. Maria denied the claim and the CBI did not investigate the matter further, the court said.

The CBI included in the charge sheet a letter Nimbalkar wrote to the District Collector in 2003. In the letter, Nimbalkar said he was worried about his safety and named former Maharashtra Home Minister and Lok Sabha MP Padamsingh Patil. The CBI has failed to investigate the origin and circumstances of this letter, which should be cause for concern, the judge said.

The court recognized the political rivalry between Nimbalkar and Mr. Patil after the 2002 assembly elections. But enmity alone was not enough to convict a person, the court said, stressing the need for concrete evidence.

Bad luck, says the son

The Nimbalkar family expressed shock at the verdict. Omraje Nimbalkar, son of Pavanraj Nimbalkar and a sitting MP, said the verdict was unfortunate and surprising. He will challenge the verdict in the High Court and if necessary in the Supreme Court, Mr. Omraje Nimbalkar said. Commenting on the “state of the judicial system”, he said that the present times were “difficult for the virtuous”.

Mr Omraje Nimbalkar had earlier hinted that he may move to Mr Shinde-led Shiv Sena. However, after the sentencing, he said he would consult with the people in his constituency before making a final decision on his political future. The initial investigation was “managed”, he claimed.

Mr Shinde also termed the court’s verdict as “unfortunate”.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray or UBT) leader Ambadas Danve expressed anger and disappointment at the verdict. Despite the evidence, the accused was acquitted, which shakes public confidence in the justice system, Mr Danve said.

Published – 20 Jun 2026 14:18 IST