A Mumbai special court acquitted former Maharashtra home minister Padamsinh Patil and seven other accused in the murder of Congress leader Pavanraje Nimbalkar [1].

The ruling concludes a long-running legal battle involving high-profile political figures and allegations of corruption. The case centered on the 2006 deaths of Nimbalkar and his driver [2].

The court found insufficient evidence to convict the eight individuals [2]. Among those acquitted was the brother of Sunetra Pawar [1]. The legal proceedings had spanned nearly two decades following the 2006 killings [2].

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigators had previously alleged that the motive for the crime was linked to the Kargil funds scam from the early 2000s [1]. The CBI sought to connect the political violence to the financial irregularities of that era, a claim that did not lead to a conviction in this instance.

Two victims were involved in the original case: Pavanraje Nimbalkar and his driver [2]. The acquittal of Padamsinh Patil and the seven co-accused marks the end of the trial in the Mumbai special court [1], [2].

“A Mumbai special court acquitted former Maharashtra home minister Padamsinh Patil and seven other accused”

The acquittal highlights the difficulty of securing convictions in high-profile political murder cases in India, where witness testimony and evidence can degrade over decades. By failing to link the 2006 murders to the Kargil funds scam, the court has effectively decoupled this specific act of violence from the broader corruption allegations that the CBI attempted to use as a motive.