MUMBAI: In a major set back to former President Pratibha Patil, an Additional Sessions Court in Jalgaon on Monday ordered the police to name her younger brother G N Patil as an accused in a murder case.
The court has also ordered to make former local Congress MP Ulhas Patil an accused in the case pertaining to the murder of the then district Congress president V G Patil in 2005.
The deceased’s widow Rajni Patil had filed a petition in the court to make G N Patil an accused in this case.
“Cognizance of the offence punishable under Section 302 of the IPC is hereby taken against Gajendrasinh Narayan Patil and Ulhas Vasudeo Patil. The trial of these newly arrayed accused shall commence afresh as provided by Section 319 (4) of the Code of Criminal Procedure,” the court stated in its order.
In her plea, Rajni alleged that her husband was murdered at the behest of G N Patil, who had lost the election of district Congress president to V G Patil by 13 votes. V G Patil had later initiated an inquiry into misappropriation of funds by some Congressmen to felicitate Pratibha Patil, then Governor of Rajasthan, and send relief to Tsunami victims. A few days later, V G Patil, an English professor, was killed near his house.The police had held Raju Sonawane and Raju Mali for the murder.
During their narco analysis test in 2006, they had stated that G N Patil and Ulhas Patil had given them contract to eliminate V G Patil. Both had challenged the outcome of their narco analysis test in the Jalgaon court. The case has been delayed since then.