Raigad (Maharashtra), Sep 25 - A Maharashtra court Friday granted bail to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Padamsinh Patil, the prime accused in the murder of Congress leader Pawan Raje Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Kazi in 2005.

'The accused is in hospital on medical grounds. His bail plea has been granted but we are awaiting the detailed order of Alibag Sessions Judge Arvind Kale. Since he is in a Navi Mumbai hospital, we cannot say how soon he will be set free,' Senior Public Prosecutor Ejaz Khan told IANS.

Patil, elected on the NCP ticket to the Lok Sabha from Osmanabad constituency, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) June 7 with eight others for involvement in the killing of Nimbalkar at Panvel, in Navi Mumbai, in 2005.

For the past four months since his arrest, Patil has been in police or judicial custody, and the case is being investigated by the CBI.

The eight co-conspirators named in the CBI's 5000-page charge sheet filed last month include: Satish R.