Maratha Mahasangh activists protested in Jalna over the murder of a Beed sarpanch and a Dalit man’s custodial death. Demonstrators showed black flags to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, demanding justice for the victims’ families.
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Activists of the Maratha Mahasangh staged a protest in Jalna on Monday against the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district. The demonstrators showed black flags to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar during his visit to attend an event organised by the district unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
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The protest was led by Arvind Deshmukh, the district president of the Maratha Mahasangh, along with several activists who raised slogans condemning the recent incidents of violence and custodial death in the state. Demonstrators demanded justice for the families of both the murdered sarpanch and a Dalit man, Somnath Suryavanshi, who died in judicial custody.
Santosh Deshmukh was abducted, tortured, and murdered on December 9, allegedly for opposing an extortion attempt linked to a windmill project in the region. According to preliminary investigations, Deshmukh had tried to prevent an extortion bid targeting an energy firm operating the project. His brutal killing has sparked widespread anger among local communities.
In a separate incident, 35-year-old Suryavanshi died on December 15 while in judicial custody. He was reportedly arrested in connection with violence that erupted in Parbhani over the desecration of a glass-encased replica of the Indian Constitution. Suryavanshi passed away at a state-run hospital in Parbhani, raising serious questions about his treatment in custody.
Addressing the protest, Arvind Deshmukh called on Ajit Pawar, who also serves as the guardian minister of Beed, to take swift action and ensure justice. “The government must deliver justice to the families of Santosh Deshmukh and Somnath Suryavanshi. These incidents have deeply hurt the sentiments of both the Maratha and Dalit communities,” he stated.
The Maharashtra government has set up inquiry panels to investigate both incidents. The committees aim to uncover the circumstances behind the sarpanch’s murder and the custodial death of Suryavanshi.
Ajit Pawar, meanwhile, avoided directly addressing the protest but assured the media that the government is committed to transparency and ensuring accountability in these cases. "We will await the reports from the inquiry panels and take appropriate action based on their findings," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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