Panvel (Maharashtra), June 14: NCP leader Padamsinh
Patil, arrested in connection with the murder of Congress
leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar, has accused the CBI of
pressurising him to confessing to the crime and undergo
scientific tests even as the police arrested one more shooter
allegedly involved in the killing.
As the court extended the custody of Patil in CBI
custody till June 20, CBI sought his further interrogation on
the grounds that the case is at a crucial stage and they need
to probe the involvement of some other politicians and police
officials in the case.
Patil's lawyer Dinesh Tiwari told the court that the
investigation agency is allegedly pressurizing Patil to give a
confessional statement and to undergo scientific tests.
Patil does not intend to give any confessional
statement as he has done nothing wrong and is innocent and
is not ready to undergo scientific tests due to his health
conditions, Tiwari said.
"I do not intend to give any confessional statement as
I have done nothing wrong and I do not want to undergo any
scientific tests due to health reasons," an application by
Patil opposing extension of remand says.
CBI, on the other hand, said since Patil is not
co-operating with investigators, it is considering scientific
tests on him like narco-analysis and brain-mapping, the remand
application filed by the agency states.
CBI counsel Ejaz Khan also told the court that the
agency is investigating the money trail and how and who
transferred the supari (contract killing sum) through hawala
channels.
Tiwari had also prepared an application to be
submitted to the court regarding the pressure on Patil to
undergo scientific tests but did not file it today as CBI did
not seek permission to conduct the narco-analysis tests.
CBI Joint Director Rishiraj Singh said "the
investigation in this case is in full progress. Another
accused Pintu Singh has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh
police and we are completing the formality to take him in CBI
custody."
Pintu Singh, who had allegedly opened fire at
Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi, would be brought to
Mumbai soon and will be produced before the Panvel court, he
said.
CBI has collected new material in the case and
searches in Patil's south Mumbai residence are yet to be
conducted, which is why Patil's custody was sought, Khan said.
muder case Mohan Shukla and Satish Mandade were also produced
before the court today and were remanded to judicial custody
till June 26.
CBI today detained Abdul Rehman, driver of arrested
accused Parasmal Jain who allegedly arranged for the killing
of Nimbalkar.
CBI sources alleged Rehman was aware of the conspiracy
as he had accompanied Jain to conduct a recce of Nimbalkar's
house in Osmanabad and had been informed by Jain about the job
to eliminate Nimbalkar.
CBI, which took over the case last year, has arrested
five persons so far- Patil, Shukla, Mandade, Jain and Dinesh
Tiwari.
Jain and Tiwari are at present in judicial custody
till June 21.
Bureau Report