Padamsinh Patil is no run-of-the-mill politician. In the early 1990s, Patil was the state’s home minister and almost made it to the topmost post in 1991.
Padamsinh Patil is no run-of-the-mill politician. In the early 1990s, Patil was the state’s home minister — the portfolio that is responsible for maintaining law and order — and almost made it to the topmost post in 1991.
When Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar made it to the union cabinet as defence minister in 1991, Patil was the front-runner for chief minister’s post in the Congress-ruled Maharashtra. It was reportedly Pawar who put an end to Patil’s aspirations, since he (Patil) was seen to “very headstrong”. But be that as it may, he was always counted among Pawar’s inner group, and probably that is what won him the NCP ticket to the Osmanabad Lok Sabha seat, in spite of the spectre of the Pawanraje Nimbalkar murder case.
Now, just three weeks of being elected as an MP, Patil is cooling his heels in the lock-up for his alleged involvement in the murder of the Congress leader from Osmanabad.
According to senior CBI officials, Satish Mandade, one of Patil’s closest confidants, confessed to having planned the killing of Nimbalkar at Patil’s behest. Mandade, who is also in CBI custody, confessed during interrogation that Patil, bogged down by political and business rivalry with his cousin Nimbalkar, had told him in January 2006 that the Congressman should be eliminated, the officials said. Mandade said Patil told him to carry out the supari (contract killing). Mandade contacted Mohan Shukla. The two paid Rs25 lakh to shooters to eliminate Nimbalkar.
After his arrest, Patil was produced before the Panvel court around 12pm and he has been remanded in CBI custody till June 14.
Patil is the fifth person to be arrested in the case; alleged contract killer Parasmal Jain, 47, gunman Dinesh Tiwari, 37, and Patil’s associates Satish Mandade, 60, and Mohan Shukla, 60, were arrested earlier. CBI sources said Jain was the first to name Patil in the case.
“We don’t have any details of the confession made by any accused,” Patil’s advocate Subhash Jaha said. “The CBI has only said that one of the arrested suspects has named Patil in the case.”
Rishi Raj Singh, joint director of CBI, said, “Patil has been charged with criminal conspiracy and double murder.”
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