Naik, an engineering graduate, was left paralysed after he was shot at in April 1994 by a rival gang on the premises of a sessions court at Fort. Wheelchair bound Naik is likely to be taken back to Delhi where other criminal procedures are pending against him.

According to the prosecution, Naik had suspected an illicit relationship between Neeta and her private bodyguard Laxman Zhiman. As per the police, a conspiracy was hatched inside Tihar jail and six persons were roped in to murder Neeta Naik. After the murder, five persons were arrested but two of them were later acquitted. Three others—Manoj Bhalekar, Nilratan Mukherjee and Sunil Jadhav— were convicted.

Naik, however, faced a separate trial as he was at that time facing a narcotic trial in a Delhi court. The confession by two of the accused — Nilratan Mukherjee and Manoj Bhalekar— mentioning the manner in which the entire conspiracy was carried out and how Naik was contacted after the murder, could not be used as evidences against him. Moreover, his lawyers argued that he was behind bars at the time of Neeta’s murder and thus could not have been involved in the conspiracy.

Ashwin Naik, who was evidently relieved after his acquittal, said, “I was wrongly implicated in the case and now the truth is out.” Naik, who had a series of cases registered against him, is now facing trials in other cases in Mumbai, confirmed his lawyer Kirti Dabir.