Mumbai, June 6 — The trial in the murder of the president of the Jalgaon District Congress Committee, Vishram Patil, has taken a new turn. Some of the witnesses, including a prosecution (panch) witness, have filed affidavits alleging that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) fabricated their statements attached to the CBI’s additional chargesheet filed on June 10, 2006.
Vishram was murdered on September 21, 2005. Political rivalry between him and party colleague, G.N. Patil, President Pratibha Patil’s brother, and another party member, Ulhas Patil, was suspected to be the reason for the murder.
Vishram’s widow, Rajni Patil, had moved the high court and the Supreme Court to make G.N. Patil an accused in the murder. An affidavit filed by Rekha Mali (wife of accused Raju Mali, who died in custody in 2007) alleged that the CBI and police fabricated her statement.
“CBI officers visit me and threaten me and my relatives. They ask me to give my statement according to what they say.
If anything happens to me, the CBI should be held responsible,” Rekha’s affidavit said. A senior CBI official confirmed these affidavits were filed.
“We will follow the process of law and file a reply if the court asks us to,” the officer said. The affidavit of Kishor Shah, one of the witnesses, said the police had approached him to be a panch witness.
“The police threatened me saying if I didn’t help them they would make me an accused in the case,” Shah’s affidavit said. Raju’s brother, Sanju, said the CBI had attached his statement with the chargesheet without recording it.
Rekha’s affidavit also said her husband had connections with politicians but nobody helped her. She claimed she had gone to meet G.N. Patil who asked her to return after 90 days.