NCP MP Padamsinh Patil arrested in "double" murder case

Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI) NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) MP
Padamsinh Patil was Sunday arrested by the CBI for his alleged
involvement in the "double murder" of Maharashtra Congress
leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver three years ago, in
a development that came as a big embarassment to his party
which is a constituent of the ruling UPA (United Progressive
Alliance) at the Centre.

69-year-old Patil's arrest has come ahead of Maharashtra
assembly polls later this year. A senior NCP leader, he was
elected from Osmanabad seat in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

Patil was detained last night after two of the accused
who have been arrested, Parasmal Jain and Mohan Shukla,
allegedly named him in the June 3, 2006 case in which
Nimbalkar and his driver were shot dead in a car at Kalamboli
in Navi Mumbai.

Patil "has been booked under section 302 (murder) and
section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC. He has been
remanded to our custody till June 14," CBI counsel Ijaz Khan
said after the MP was produced in a court in Panvel in Navi
Mumbai, 50 kms from here in the western state of Maharashtra.

Khan told the court that "both Jain and Shukla had named
Padamsinh Patil as the one who paid 'Supari' (contract) of Rs
30 lakh and ordered killing of Nimbalkar." The probe agency
alleged that Nimbalkar, also a cousin of Patil, was killed
because of business rivalry.

Meanwhile, CBI Joint Director Rishiraj Singh said, "We
have informed the Lok Sabha Speaker of his involvement and
arrest in the conspiracy and double murder" case. This has
been done under the rules of procedure of Lok Sabha as the
House is in session, he said.

While being taken to the court, Patil claimed, "I am
innocent. This is all wrong... what is happening. I am being
falsely implicated."

The CBI took over the investigation last year following a
Bombay High Court directive which came on a petition by the
Nimbalkar family alleging that the police have failed to
properly probe the case.

When asked about the arrest, NCP chief Sharad Pawar
steered clear of making any comment and only said that the
"law will take its own course" in the case."I do not want
influence the inquiry process in any way by making a comment."

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said,
"Investigations are on. I don't want to comment on it. I don't
think it will affect Congress-NCP relations".

A former Maharashtra Minister, Patil, was taken to the
state-run J J Hospital earlier in the day after he complained
of chest pain and low blood pressure.

The arrest, meanwhile, sparked violence in Patil's
constituency Osmanabad where party workers forced business
establishments to shut down. NCP workers also damaged an OB
van of a private news channel and five Maharashtra state
roadways buses, police said. State Reserve Police Force (SRP)
personnel have been deployed in the city.

The CBI has so far arrested four persons -- Jain, Dinesh
Tiwari, Shukla and Satish Mandade -- in the case. They are in
CBI custody till June 9.

Omraje, Nimbalkar's son, said, "It has been more than
three years that I have been fighting for justice. I will get
justice for my father's death only when those involved in his
murder get stringent punishment."

Patil, a relative of Pawar, was elected to the state
assembly for seven consecutive terms from 1978 but was forced
to take a backseat in 2004 after winning by a mere 484 votes.
NCP replaced him with son Jagjitsingh in the state ministry.

It was from his son's official residence that Patil was
whisked away by the CBI team last night.

Police said the situation in the district in Marathwada
region of Central Maharashtra was tense but under control.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena and BJP activists staged a blockade
on Mumbai-Hyderabad National Highway Number 9 near Umerga
demanding the resignation of Patil and his son, who is
Minister of State for Industry in Ashok Chavan's cabinet.

No stranger to controversy, Patil was among the four
ministers accused of corruption by anti-graft crusader Anna
Hazare.

Patil was among others indicted in a report by the
Justice Sawant Commission, which was set up to probe the
charges made by Hazare. PTI SP
JVN
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