The CBI, which arrested NCP leader Padamsinh Patil, suspects that the money for the contract killing was procured through hawala channels.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which arrested Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Padamsinh Patil on Sunday for his alleged role in the murder of Congressman Pawanraje Nimbalkar, suspects that the money for the contract killing was procured through hawala channels.
On Monday, the CBI interrogated Patil at its office in CGO building in CBD-Belapur, Navi Mumbai. He was taken to the office, on the eighth floor of the building, around 10.45 am.
The 69-year-old member of Parliament (MP) has been charged with double murder (of Nimbalkar and his driver) and conspiracy. Investigations so far have revealed that the supari was actually worth Rs1 crore, but only Rs25 lakh changed hands.
CBI officials are investigating the hawala angle since there are no bank transactions suggesting the withdrawal of such huge amounts of money. “We have scrutinised his bank records since January 2006 but they have not revealed much,” a senior CBI official, who is part of the investigations said without wanting to be named.
The Indica car allegedly used by the suspects to tail Nimbalkar on the day he was murdered has provided very little evidence. The car was found abandoned and charred in Navi Mumbai after the murder, the CBI official said. Thus far, the CBI, with the help of the chassis number, has been able to only ascertain that the vehicle belonged to one Abdul Rehman.
In his statement to the CBI, Parasmal Jain, who was the first to talk of Patil’s involvement in the murder, has confessed that Rehman had provided the car, a CBI official said without wanting to be named.
The CBI said that Jain, along with Rehman and corporator Mohan Shukla, had a meeting at Vishwas Social Club in Mumbra to chalk out the murder plot.
The CBI allowed Patil to meet his brother-in-law Jeevanrao Gore on Monday. But another distant relative, who did not wish to reveal his identity, did not get the CBI’s permission to meet him.
According to CBI sources, Patil will be kept in the Vashi police station’s lock-up since the CBI does not have a lock-up of its own in Navi Mumbai.
The alleged contract killer, Parasmal Jain, 47, and gunman Dinesh Tiwari, 37, were on Monday remanded in judicial custody till June 28. Patil’s associate Satish Mandade, 60, and corporator Mohan Shukla, 60, will be presented before the Panvel court on Tuesday.
The CBI has sent an update on the developments in the case to the Lok Sabha speaker since Patil is a member of Parliament.
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