Beed sarpanch murder: Have asked CM to take action irrespective of party affiliations, says Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar. File Pic

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said that he asked Chief Minister to take action irrespective of party affiliations in Beed sarpanch murder case, reported the PTI.

Ajit Pawar said that no one will be spared in the Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case even as he defended his party and cabinet colleague Dhananjay Munde.

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Massajog sarpanch Deshmukh was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9 for trying to stop an extortion bid on an energy firm helming a windmill project in the region. A murder case and an extortion case linked to the killing are being probed by a special investigation team of the state CID.

"I have told Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to act against the guilty in the sarpanch murder irrespective of the party that person belongs to. CM Devendra Fadnavis has said action will be taken against anyone linked to the brutal killing," Ajit Pawar told reporters in Pune, according to the PTI.

Asked about the demand being made from various quarters for the resignation of Munde, Pawar said the latter has told him he was not involved in the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh.

"The court, SIT, CID are probing the sarpanch murder case thoroughly. No one will be spared in the case," the Nationalist Congress Party chief asserted, as per the PTI.

Asked whether Munde should resign from the Fadnavis government on moral grounds, Pawar claimed, "He has said he is not even remotely linked to the case. He also said that any agency can probe the case. People levelling allegations must hand over evidence they have to probe agencies."

Munde, MLA from Parli in Beed, is under attack from opposition parties and even some leaders of the ruling Mahayuti as Walmik Karad, the key accused in the extortion case linked to the sarpanch's murder, is his close aide.

The Beed sarpanch murder case has triggered statewide protests.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP MLA Suresh Dhas on Thursday claimed that Walmik Karad, arrested in an extortion case linked to sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh's murder, has assets of more than Rs 100 crore and got a notice from the ED in 2022, the PTI reported.

Sabtosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was 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 in Santosh Deshmukh's murder, police have so far arrested seven persons connected to the case. One of the accused is still absconding.

Walmik Karad, an associate of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, has been arrested in a related extortion case.

(with PTI inputs)