Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis orders probe into Beed killing, shunts out top cop

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during the winter session of the state Assembly at Vidhan Bhavan, in Nagpur on Friday. Pic/PTI

The state government has decided to form a special investigation team and judicial panel to probe the murder of a young sarpanch, Santosh Deshmukh, in Beed district. The superintendent of police of the district will also be transferred.

CM Devendra Fadnavis made an announcement to this effect while making a statement over a debate that was initiated by ruling and Opposition party members, who accused an alleged local mafia leader Valmik Karad of being the mastermind behind the gruesome killing. Karad has been booked by the police. "The accused will not be spared whoever they are connected with [politically]," said the CM on Friday.

The incident came to the fore as an activity that is akin to an organised crime syndicate that extorted money from the investors of a wind energy farm. Karad is said to be the kingpin of the gang. The murder was raised in the ongoing session of the state legislature. The members debated it and demanded action from the state government. Karad is said to be a member of a ruling party.

Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, who was attacked on December 9

Fadnavis said the incident needed a deeper investigation. "We will have to end lawlessness in Beed district. Avaada Energy has made a huge investment in wind energy farms there. The company has generated jobs for the locals. Some people have been asking the company to pay [protection money] if it cannot give them work contracts. Some accused reached the Avaada office to demand work and extortion money. They beat up a security personnel and senior project manager of the company," said the chief minister.

He said the sarpanch Deshmukh arrived at the spot after he was called for help. "The supporters of the sarpanch beat up the goons. The video of the clash went viral," he said, adding that the sarpanch was fatally attacked on December 9 when he was travelling alone. The accused ran away after Deshmukh breathed his last, said Fadnavis. According to CM, Deshmukh's brother had called one Vishnu Chate who told him that his brother would be released unharmed. Instead, Deshmukh was beaten up mercilessly and left dead.

Fadnavis said Karad would be taken to task and punished, regardless of his political connections. He also assured that he would probe the police's role (in protecting the accused and delaying action). He said it was the state's responsibility to maintain law and order, and it was evident that the local police force left some loopholes. Pinning the responsibility on the district head, the CM said the SP would be moved out. According to the CM, the accused would be booked under the Act that has provisions to check organised crime. He also announced financial assistance of R10 lakh for the deceased sarpanch's family.

Parbhani case investigation

Fadnavis has ordered a judicial probe into the accusations that an accused had died in judicial custody because of police brutality. The dead person, Somnath Suryawanshi, was among those arrested for violence that had begun following the vandalism in which a replica of the Constitution was broken. After the matter was raised in the legislature, Fadnavis said the post-mortem report had rejected the possibility of custodial death but stated that the deceased had a serious lung ailment.

Fadnavis said Suryawanshi has himself told the court twice that the police had not carried out third-degree torture on him. "We have a video footage of Suryawanshi's stay in police custody. It is an unedited version that doesn't show any police atrocities. After being moved to judicial custody, the accused complained of uneasiness. He was taken to hospital where he was declared dead."