After Court Clears All Accused, CBI To Move Higher Court In Pawanraje Nimbalkar Murder Case

Published 20 June 2026 · local

After Court Clears All Accused, CBI To Move Higher Court In Pawanraje Nimbalkar Murder Case Published By, Last Updated: June 20, 2026, 14:26 IST A

After Court Clears All Accused, CBI To Move Higher Court In Pawanraje Nimbalkar Murder Case Published By, Last Updated: June 20, 2026, 14:26 IST A special CBI court acquitted all the accused, including former NCP leader Padamsinh Patil, citing insufficient evidence to establish their guilt beyond reasonable doubt. A representative photo of the CBI (Source: PTI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to challenge a special court’s verdict acquitting all nine accused in the 2006 murder case of former Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi, following directions from Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The decision to file an appeal comes shortly after a special CBI court on Saturday acquitted all the accused, including former NCP leader Padamsinh Patil, citing insufficient evidence to establish their guilt beyond reasonable doubt. According to sources, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde discussed the court’s verdict with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Following the meeting, Shah directed the CBI to challenge the acquittal before a higher court. In its judgment, the special court observed that the prosecution’s case relied heavily on the testimony of an approver (pardoned witness), whose statements underwent multiple changes during the course of the investigation and trial. The court held that the witness’s testimony lacked credibility and could not be treated as reliable evidence. The judge further noted that a conviction could not be sustained solely on the basis of the approver’s testimony, particularly when it was not sufficiently corroborated by other evidence. Extending the benefit of doubt to the accused, the court acquitted all nine individuals facing trial in the case. The case pertains to the killing of Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi, who were shot dead in Navi Mumbai’s Kalamboli area in June 2006. The high-profile murder sparked political controversy in Maharashtra and was subsequently handed over to the CBI for investigation.

Over the years, the agency arrested and chargesheeted nine accused, including Padamsinh Patil, alleging a conspiracy behind the murders. The trial continued for several years before the special court delivered its verdict after examining evidence and hearing final arguments. Among those present in court during the pronouncement of the judgment was Pawanraje Nimbalkar’s son, Omraje Nimbalkar, along with other family members. The verdict has drawn significant political attention, particularly because Omraje Nimbalkar has recently been at the centre of speculation surrounding an alleged rebellion within the Shiv Sena (UBT). He is among the six party MPs who did not attend a parliamentary meeting convened by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, triggering rumours of a possible shift in political allegiance. With the CBI now preparing to move a higher court, the legal battle in one of Maharashtra’s most closely watched political murder cases appears far from over.