Mumbai court acquits Padamsinh Patil and 7 in Nimbalkar murder
After 20 years, a Mumbai court has cleared former Maharashtra home minister Padamsinh Patil and seven others of all charges in the 2006 murder of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar.
The judge said there wasn't enough evidence to prove they planned the crime.
The CBI, which called Patil the main accused back in 2009, is expected to challenge this verdict.
Mumbai court rejects accused-turned-approver testimony
Nimbalkar and his driver were shot dead near Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, with investigators claiming it was all about political rivalry, alleging a ₹30-lakh contract was given to the killers to have Nimbalkar killed.
Their main witness was an accused-turned-approver, and the court found he had been in illegal custody for nearly 15 days after being apprehended and was tortured, so the court didn't accept his testimony.
Patil was arrested in 2009 but released on bail, and Patil denied all the allegations.