Beed sarpanch murder | All-party delegation demands Munde's ouster from cabinet

Mumbai, Jan 6 (PTI) Political leaders cutting across the party lines on Monday called on Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan, urging him to remove Dhananjay Munde from the state cabinet to ensure a free and fair probe into the killing of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.

The delegation, comprising Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar and BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, submitted a memorandum to the governor, requesting him to take decisive action on the issue that would help uphold the rule of law and regain public confidence in the dispensation of justice.

Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was tragically abducted, tortured, and murdered on December 9, allegedly in retaliation for his efforts to prevent extortion attempts against an energy firm linked to a windmill project.

As part of the investigation, police have so far arrested seven persons connected to the case, including Walmik Karad, an aide to Munde.

Karad's involvement has raised eyebrows, particularly following his public surrender via a social media video on December 31, 2024.

The event attracted large crowds at the CID headquarters in Pune, leading to concerns over potential disorder and preferential treatment.

The leaders have demanded Munde's resignation, a murder case against Karad, strict action against negligent police officials, and measures to curb extortion and hooliganism in Beed.

Addressing a press conference, Wadettiwar said the delegation has demanded that Munde resign from the post till a chargesheet is filed in the murder case.

He said the delegation sought a fair inquiry in the case without any pressure.

The Congress leader claimed that Karad was the mastermind of the crime and sought a murder case against him.

He said officers in the CID's special investigation team (SIT) connected to Karad should be removed.

The memorandum stated that extortion activities had escalated during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and culminated in Deshmukh's murder.

On May 28, 2024, an officer of Avaada Power Pvt Ltd was kidnapped and rescued after timely action by the Ahilyanagar police, but the Beed police were criticised for their lack of proactive measures, the leaders claimed in the memorandum.

They alleged that Karad issued repeated threats to Avaada officials, demanding Rs 2 crore, and on December 6, 2024, his associates reportedly attacked security personnel at the company's Massajog storeyard.

Deshmukh was allegedly kidnapped, tortured, and murdered on December 9, and a video of the crime was circulated to intimidate others.

The body was found in a neighbouring village, the memorandum said.

The leaders said residents of Massajog staged protests demanding the arrest of the accused the next day, but the cases were registered only after mounting public pressure.

The memorandum stated that on December 31, 2024, Karad announced his surrender through a video on social media, and crowds gathered at the CID headquarters in Pune during his surrender, causing disorder.

Leaders claimed questions were raised about alleged preferential treatment for Karad and the influence of powerful figures on the investigation.

The memorandum was signed by former MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, NCP (SP) MP from Beed Bajrang Sonawane, Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar, MLA Jitendra Awhad, among others. PTI