MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Omraje Nimbalkar has neither confirmed nor denied reports that he is part of a rebel group moving towards the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. He stated that he was not in Delhi on Wednesday or Thursday and skipped the party's parliamentary meeting convened by the Uddhav Thackeray camp.
"I have not gone to Delhi. I have decided to make my stand clear after June 20," Nimbalkar said. His remarks come amid growing speculation that six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs are preparing to break away from the party.
Allegations of Pressure
Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that pressure is being exerted on Nimbalkar due to the impending verdict in the murder case of his father, former Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar. "Twenty years ago, his father was murdered and the trial is at a crucial stage. There is pressure on Omraje Nimbalkar that if he joins the Shinde Sena, he will get relief from the court," Raut claimed, without providing evidence.
The Murder Case
The case pertains to the June 3, 2006, assassination of Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver, Samad Kazi, near Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai. The killings triggered a major political controversy in Maharashtra and led to a prolonged legal battle. A special CBI court in Mumbai is expected to deliver its verdict on Saturday in the high-profile double murder case. The judgment was originally scheduled for June 17 but was deferred as the court required additional time to complete the order.
Among the accused is former Maharashtra minister and senior NCP leader Padamsinh Patil, brother of deputy CM Sunetra Pawar. The prosecution alleges that the murders resulted from political and business rivalries, including disputes linked to the management of Terna Sugar Factory and the 2004 assembly election contest between Patil and Nimbalkar.
Investigation and Trial
The case was initially investigated by Kalamboli police and later by the Navi Mumbai crime branch. However, following a petition by Nimbalkar's widow Anandibai, the Bombay High Court transferred the probe to the CBI in 2008, describing the state police investigation as "desultory and lackadaisical." The trial was later shifted from Alibaug to Mumbai on the Supreme Court's directions.
The CBI alleges that Pawanraje Nimbalkar's murder was a contract killing. Its case relies on the testimony of approver Parasmal Jain, forensic and ballistic evidence, call detail records, and statements from more than 120 witnesses examined during the trial.
Political Background
Omraje Nimbalkar, 42, is the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Dharashiv and a prominent face of Shiv Sena (UBT) in Marathwada. Before entering Parliament, he served as an MLA from Osmanabad. He entered politics in his early twenties and built a reputation for grassroots mobilisation and an aggressive political style. As speculation over the Sena split intensifies, Nimbalkar's next move is being closely watched, particularly with the verdict in his father's murder case due within days.
