Nagpur: In a major turn in the long-pending investigation into the sensational murder of architect Eknath Nimgade, gangster Ranjit Halke Safelkar was brought before the JMFC Court on Friday under a production warrant. The move comes after the court recently rejected the CBI’s closure report and directed that criminal proceedings be initiated against Safelkar and co-accused Mohsin Badruddin Ansari, alias Raja Pop, who is lodged in Nagpur Central Jail.
During the hearing, Safelkar was served a voluminous 1,500-page chargesheet. The case has now been committed to the Sessions Court, where the trial is set to begin soon.
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Nimgade, a well-known city architect, was shot dead during his morning walk at Lal Imli Chowk on September 6, 2016, when two assailants on a motorcycle opened fire and escaped. The broad-daylight killing had sent waves of panic across Nagpur.
As the investigation unfolded, the CBI arrested Mohsin Ansari, described as a professional contract killer from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh. He and another shooter, Mohd Parwez from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, were believed to have executed the attack. The case remained unsolved for months, prompting the agency to announce a reward of Rs 5 lakh for crucial information.
Police suspect the murder stemmed from a bitter dispute over a prime land parcel valued at more than Rs 200 crore, allegedly owned by Nimgade. Investigators claim Safelkar was handed a contract worth Rs 5 crore to eliminate Nimgade, of which Rs 1.20 crore was paid upfront. Safelkar is said to have roped in Sharad alias Kalu Hate, who then approached Nawab alias Chhote Sahab Ashrafi, also known as Nubbu, to carry out the killing. As Nubbu delayed the job, Kalu allegedly issued threats, after which Nubbu assembled the execution team that included Raja Pop, Parwez, and others.
While rejecting the CBI’s final report, the JMFC Court observed that there was sufficient material to frame charges, pointing directly to the involvement of sharpshooter Raja Pop and Safelkar.
The case was initially probed by Nagpur Police and later by the Crime Branch before being transferred to the CBI by the Bombay High Court, following allegations by Nimgade’s son regarding slow investigation progress. Advocate Prakash Jaiswal represented Safelkar in court.
Further proceedings will now continue before the Sessions Court.
