Patil charge sheeted in Nimbalkar case

The CBI, which investigated the case after the intervention of the Bombay High Court, filed a 5,000-page charge sheet against the Nationalist Congress Party leader and other accused in the case in a Panvel sessions court in Navi Mumbai.

The CBI charge sheet alleged that Patil hatched the conspiracy to murder Nimbalkar due to political rivalry. He nursed a suspicion that Nimbalkar had challenged his survival in politics, it said.

Nimbalkar was Padmasinh’s cousin and belonged to the Congress. Padmasinh was in the Maharashtra Cabinet when a scam involving Kargil funds broke out. The MP had reportedly siphoned off for his personal use the money collected by the members of Terna Sugar Cooperative for the Kargil war heroes.

The lid was blown off the scandal by noted social worker Anna Hazare, and it is believed that all information about the misuse of Kargil donations was provided by Nimbalkar. The Nationalist Congress Party leader was the chairman of Terna Sugar Cooperative, most of whose members are farmers. He was forced to resign from the Cabinet after the controversy and sidelined in the NCP circle.

Nimbalkar and his driver were shot dead on June 3, 2006, at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai. The actual killers are Dinesh Tiwari, Pintu Singh and a wanted accused, Chotu Pandey, who opened fire at the duo.

Rs 30 lakh supari

The CBI charge sheet states that Padmasinh had given supari (contract killing) of Rs 30 lakh to eliminate Nimbalkar. Padmasinh’s close aide at Osmanabad, Satish Mandade, Mohan Shukla, Dinesh Tiwari, Parasmal Jain, Kailash Yadav and Pintu Singh are the other accused in the case.

The charge sheet includes statements of 181 witnesses and over 200 documents showing involvement of Padmasinh and others in the crime, the CBI Mumbai zone head P Kandaswamy said. Padmasinh is in judicial custody and the trial is expected to begin soon.

DH News Service