Santosh Deshmukh murder case: 15 videos, 8 photos, chargesheet details sarpanch’s torture

The videos were meant to intimidate anyone who resisted their attempts to extort money from local industries as Deshmukh had, according to police. According to the chargesheet, two days before the murder, Karad had asked arrested accused Sudarshan Ghule to “take care of Deshmukh”. The videos were recorded on December 9 between 3.46 pm to 5.53 pm and range from 5 seconds to 2.04 minutes.

Contents of the videos figure in the statement of a panch witness in whose presence police examined the phone of accused Mahesh Kedar. As police started checking the photos and videos in the phone, the witness stated: “Video 1 is being played in which five people are seen abusing and beating a man wearing a white-grey check shirt with weapons like a wrench pipe… and kicking him…” After watching another video, the witness stated, “…Five people are seen abusing one person… and are punching and kicking the person…. Also, a person wearing a black T-shirt is seen removing the pants of the person who is being beaten.”

“In this video, a person in white shirt and no pants is seen with red and white coloured thread around the neck… also, in the said video, there is a light-coloured Scorpio with the number plate clearly showing F 333,” the witness stated. This was the vehicle in which Deshmukh was allegedly abducted.

The witness later stated, “In this video, a person wearing a white-grey check shirt, without pants… (is) being hit on his face and other parts. A person forces this person to say ‘Sudarshan Ghule ha sarvancha baap aaheyt (Sadarshan Ghule is everyone’s father)’. He then stands on top of this person and appears to urinate on him.” In this video, the injured man is stripped to his underwear, the witness stated. Also, one person is pulling his hair back and forcing him to talk while another person is shooting.

Describing one of the photos found in Kedar’s phone, the witness stated: “In this photo, a battered and injured person is seen sitting in a white-grey checkered shirt. His back shows multiple black, reddish sores.”

The CID SIT established the identities of the accused through the videos.

A source said, “The accused wanted to make an example of Deshmukh and hence they recorded the video. They wanted to use it to threaten anyone who tried to get in the way of them demanding extortion money.”

According to the chargesheet, on December 6, Karad’s men allegedly went to a windmill energy project — being executed by Avaada Energy in Massajog village of Beed — to stop work as their Rs 2 crore extortion demand had not been met. However, local sarpanch Deshmukh intervened and got them to retreat.

A day later, Karad called up Ghule and allegedly told him that they needed to “take care of the sarpanch” or no one would pay them extortion money.

Although the Opposition in Maharashtra demanded that Munde, who resigned as a minister on Tuesday, be also named as an accused in the murder, sources in the SIT said it was unlikely that new names would be added with the evidence in hand. “The chargesheet names eight accused against whom we have found evidence in connection with the murder of Santosh Deshmukh. Based on the evidence so far, no new names will be added. Unless some new evidence crops up, the chargesheet will have no new names,” a source said.