By IANS
Mumbai : Rajni Patil, wife of Congress worker V.G. Patil who was murdered in Jalgaon in 2005, Friday moved the Bombay High Court demanding that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) “interrogate” United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pratibha Patil and her brother G.N. Patil before the presidential poll.
Rajni Patil’s petition said the CBI, which was directed by the Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court to probe the case in February, must question Pratibha Patil before July 19, the date for presidential election because she might get “presidential immunity” if she wins.
It alleged that Pratibha Patil “has been influencing and subverting the investigation of the case to shield her brother, also a Congress worker from Jalgaon”.
The division bench of Justices R.M.S. Khandeparkar and V.K. Tahilramani adjourned the matter till July 17 without passing an order.
V.G. Patil was the district Congress committee president in Jalgaon when he was killed on September 21, 2005.
The petition alleged that V.G. Patil had complained to the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) about misappropriation of funds collected for tsunami victims by G.N. Patil and another Congress worker, Ulhaas Patil, before his murder.
V.G. Patil had defeated G.N. Patil in the election for the post of district Congress committee president.
The petition alleged that though the Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court had directed the CBI to take over the probe from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the state police this February, the agency has not done anything so far.
It also prayed that the High Court should monitor the probe.
According to the petition, G.N. Patil did not deposit Rs 189,105 collected for the tsunami relief by Congress workers in the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund or Pradesh Congress Committee’s account, as was required.
Also, G.N. Patil did not submit the account of funds collected by party workers to felicitate Pratibha Patil when she became governor of Rajasthan, it alleged.
V.G. Patil sent complaints to the senior party leaders in this regard, it said.
Police have arrested four persons – Raju Mali, Raju Sonawane, Liladhar Nekhade and Damodar Lokhande – in connection with V.G. Patil’s murder.
Raju Mali died in judicial custody in April 2007, the petition said.
The petitioner also demanded that narco-analysis tests be conducted on the accused in the case.
Additional Solicitor General B.A. Desai told the high court Friday that the CBI has already recorded the statement of G.N. Patil and a probe was underway.
Desai also handed over the investigation file to the court.