A special CBI court on Saturday acquitted former Maharashtra minister Padamsinh Patil and eight others in the murder case of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi, bringing one of the state's most closely watched political crime trials to an end.

The court cleared all the accused after finding the prosecution's evidence insufficient, including doubts over the testimony of a key approver. The verdict closes a case that has remained in the spotlight since the fatal shooting of Nimbalkar and Kazi in Navi Mumbai's Kalamboli area in June 2006.

Nimbalkar, a prominent political figure, was travelling with Kazi when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle. The killings sparked allegations of a larger political conspiracy, prompting the Bombay High Court to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2008 after concerns were raised about the initial probe.

The CBI later named Padamsinh Patil, then a senior NCP leader and former state home minister, as the alleged mastermind behind the murders. He was arrested in 2009 along with eight others- Satish Mandade, Mohan Shukla, Parasmal Jain, Dinesh Tiwari, Mahatam Chaudhary alias Pintu Chaudhary, Kailash Yadav, Gyanendra Pandey alias Dhirendra Pandey alias Chhote Pandey, and Shashikant Kulkarni accused of involvement in the conspiracy and execution of the crime.

Over the years, the case witnessed multiple twists, including witnesses turning hostile, the transfer of the trial from Alibaug to Mumbai, and the examination of 128 prosecution witnesses. One of the accused eventually turned approver and testified for the prosecution, but the court found the evidence inadequate to sustain convictions.

With Saturday's verdict, a case that shaped political discourse in Maharashtra for years has finally reached its legal conclusion. Among those present in court was Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Omraje Nimbalkar, the slain leader's son.

With agency inputs