Beed sarpanch murder: Man's father, whose car Karad used to surrender, booked for selling alcohol on a "dry day"

Karad, a close associate of Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, surrendered at the CID office in Pune on December 31, 2024

Police have filed an FIR against the father of a man, whose car Walmik Karad - accused in an extortion case used to surrender before the police, for allegedly selling liquor on Republic Day, which was a 'dry day', an official said, PTI reported.

Karad, a close associate of Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, surrendered at the Crime Investigation Department (CID) office in Pune on December 31, 2024, in the extortion case related to the brutal murder of Beed's sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh of Massajog village.

As per PTI, the car used by Karad belonged to a person identified as Shivling Morale, police said.

Beed's Necknur police on Sunday filed a case against Shivling Morale's father Pandurang Morale and another individual under provisions of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act for allegedly selling liquor on the 'dry day', the official said on Tuesday.

The police also seized 39 bottles of country liquor from the accused near a bar located on Beed's Karegavhan road and issued a notice to him, he said.

Notably, NCP (SP) MP from Beed Bajrang Sonawane earlier this month alleged that the car in which Walmik Karad arrived for surrendering in the extortion case was previously part of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's convoy, ANI cited.

Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, was kidnapped, tortured and murdered on December 9 allegedly for attempting to stop an extortion bid on an energy firm in the district.

Police have so far arrested seven individuals in connection with the murder, while Karad is one of the accused arrested in the related extortion case.

Beed Sarpanch murder: Attach Walmik Karad's properties to ensure he doesn't transfer them, says BJP leader

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the murder of Beed Sarpanch murder case must attach the properties of Walmik Karad to prevent him from transferring them to his aides, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Suresh Dhas stated on Saturday.

Karad, who is a key suspect in the extortion case related to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh and a close associate of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Minister Dhananjay Munde, is currently in jail.

Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted, tortured, and murdered on December 9 for attempting to stop an extortion attempt against an energy company running a windmill project in the area.

"The people of Maharashtra will rest only after the killers are hanged," Dhas declared at a protest rally held at Azad Maidan against the Beed Sarpanch murder and the custodial death of Parbhani youth Somnath Suryavanshi.

(With PTI inputs)

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