Beed sarpanch murder: All-party delegation meets Maharashtra Governor, demands ouster of minister Dhananjay Munde

Deshmukh was kidnapped in broad daylight on December 9, pushed into a Scorpio, and allegedly assaulted for around three hours before he succumbed to injuries. His body was allegedly dumped on a road near his village. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Maharashtra Police have so far arrested seven people in connection with the murder.

The delegation, which included Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council Ambadas Danve, NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad, demanded that Walmik Karad, a close aide of Munde, be charged with the murder of Deshmukh. Fingers have been pointed at the involvement of Karad, a former NCP corporator, ever since the murder of Deshmukh. Two days after the murder, Karad was named in an FIR for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 2 crore from a windmill company in Beed. Deshmukh’s family claimed he was killed as he had opposed extortion attempts by local strongmen with links to NCP.

Santosh Deshmukh’s family–A massive protest was organized in Pune by the local unit of Akhand Maratha Samaj, Maharashtra Rajya, on Sunday to condemn the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed and Somnath Suryawanshi’s death in police custody in Parbhani. (Express photo)

The delegation also accused Karad of being the mastermind behind the crime and called for action against police personnel who allegedly neglected their duties and allowed hooliganism to occur in Beed.

Appealing for the Governor’s intervention, the delegation stated that the murder of Deshmukh and the alleged extortionist activities underlined “grave failure” of law enforcement in Beed.  The memorandum stated that the alleged biased handling of this case and the state government’s alleged support for the accused had eroded public trust.

“Considering the involvement and possible interference in this case, Minister Dhananjay Munde should be immediately resigned from the post of Minister. The feeling of “Rule of Law” must be strengthened. For that, a case of murder under BNS 103 (old IPC 302) must be immediately registered against Walmik Karad, the mastermind of the kidnapping, extortion and murder case and the case should be conducted under trial. Ensure accountability of law enforcement officials: Action should be taken against police personnel who neglected their duties.and hooliganism in Beed, ensuring the safety of its residents. Restore public confidence: Initiatives must be taken to curb extortion,” the memorandum stated.

It added, “I trust your esteemed office to take urgent steps to address this matter and uphold justice.”

From the homepage

Upping the ante over SIR, how Mamata is laying TMC groundwork for 2026 Bengal polls

G20 Summit: In Johannesburg, PM Modi proposes four initiatives, including one to counter drug-terror nexus

‘Go to your country’: Foreign DJ claims Goa police officer misbehaved with her, probe initiated