A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team reached Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday in search of the killers of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar.
Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brij Lal told the media on Wednesday that they are on the look out for shooter Chotu Pandey and politician Kailash Yadav, both from Ambedkar Nagar district in eastern UP.
Two other shooters — Pintu Singh and Dinesh Tiwari — were also allegedly involved in the murder of Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi.
Nimbalkar and Kazi were killed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai on June 3, 2006. The police have arrested Nationalist Congress Party MP Padmasinh Patil in connection with the murder.
On Wednesday, the CBI team, with help from the district police, conducted raids on several suspected hideouts of Pandey and Yadav in Ambedkar Nagar district.
The CBI came to know about Pandey and Yadav while interrogating BJP corporator Mohan Shukl and Parasmal Jain, arrested in connection with the Nimbalkar murder.
According to sources, Jain visited Ambedkar Nagar district in June 2006 and came in contact with Yadav. He asked Yadav to hire some contract killers to eliminate a high profile politician in Maharashtra. Jain also handed over Rs 50,000 to Yadav.
Later, Yadav visited Mumbai with three contract killers — Pandey, Singh and Tiwari.
{{/usCountry}}Later, Yadav visited Mumbai with three contract killers — Pandey, Singh and Tiwari.
{{/usCountry}}As per Jain’s statement to the CBI, Yadav was paid Rs 5 lakh while Pandey was given Rs 7 lakh. Singh and Tiwari were paid Rs 4 lakh each.