How a 20-year-old case’s verdict could upset Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs’ defection arithmetic
Padamsinh Patil’s acquittal in the Pawanraje Nimbalkar murder case has raised questions over Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar’s reported switch to Shinde’s Sena
The acquittal of former Maharashtra home minister Padamsinh Patil and seven others in the 2006 murder case of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar has cast fresh doubt on plan by several Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs who were reportedly preparing to switch allegiance to Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena.
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A special CBI court in Mumbai on Friday acquitted Patil after holding that the prosecution had failed to establish the alleged conspiracy behind the killing of Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi. The court rejected the testimony of approver Parasmal Jain, saying it was unreliable and insufficient to prove the chain of events.
Verdict clouds defection plans
The verdict assumes political significance because Pawanraje Nimbalkar's son, Osmanabad (Dharashiv) MP Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, is among the six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs who have been widely reported to be considering a move to the Shinde camp.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, had alleged that Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar had agreed to join Shinde’s Sena after being assured that those accused in his father's murder case would be convicted. The sudden rescheduling of the verdict from June 16 to June 20 had further fuelled speculation surrounding the alleged deal.
With the accused now acquitted, questions have emerged over whether Nimbalkar will still go ahead with the switch.
The MP had told supporters a day before the judgement that he would announce his political future after the court’s decision.
Defection arithmetic under threat
The uncertainty surrounding Nimbalkar's decision could have wider ramifications for the proposed exodus from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
If Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar chooses to remain with Shiv Sena (UBT), along with other Uddhav loyalists such as Arvind Sawant, Rajabhau Waje and Anil Desai, the remaining MPs seeking to join Shinde’s faction may no longer meet the two-thirds threshold required under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
Without the support of at least two-thirds of the parliamentary party, defecting MPs could face immediate disqualification under the anti-defection law.
Case transcends party lines
The case has acquired added political significance over the years, with key figures connected to both the victim and the accused now belonging to rival parties and alliances in Maharashtra.
Padamsinh Patil, once a senior leader of the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is the stepbrother of Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, whose family leads the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, a constituent of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. Patil’s son, Ranajagjitsinh Patil, is a two-term BJP MLA from Tuljapur, while his daughter-in-law, Archana Patil, contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election as an NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidate. She was defeated by Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, the son of slain Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and a Lok Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (UBT), which is part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Thus, individuals connected to both the victim’s family and the accused are today aligned with rival political formations, making the court verdict significant not only legally but also politically.
CBI court acquits all accused
Patil and seven others had faced trial over the June 3, 2006 murder of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver near Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai.
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According to the CBI, Patil had allegedly conspired to eliminate his cousin because of intense political and business rivalry and had arranged a contract killing worth ₹30 lakh. The agency's case rested heavily on the testimony of Parasmal Jain, who later turned approver. However, Special CBI Judge Satyanarayan Navandar ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the conspiracy and acquitted all the accused.
The trial, which began in 2011, lasted nearly 15 years and saw 128 witnesses being examined, including anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare, whose name surfaced after the approver claimed that Patil had also plotted to eliminate him.
For now, the court verdict has added a new layer of uncertainty to the political calculations in Maharashtra, with the fate of the reported Shiv Sena (UBT) rebellion now hinging significantly on Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar’s next move.