Maharashtra: Dhananjay Munde urges CM Devendra Fadnavis to demand death penalty for Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh’s killers | File Photo
Mumbai: Amid demands for his removal from the Maharashtra Cabinet in connection with the murder of Massajog village Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, newly appointed Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde on Thursday met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Sahyadri Guest House and asserted that the killers of the sarpanch should be hanged.
Pressure has been mounting from opposition leaders, social activists and media outlets, calling for the arrest of Walmik Karad, the main accused in Deshmukh’s murder. Karad, allegedly a close associate of Munde, remains at large, intensifying public and political scrutiny.
After meeting Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Munde, told reporters, “It has been my demand since day one that the killers of Santosh Deshmukh should be hanged. I have also been demanding that the investigation in this case should be completed, the charge sheet should be filed immediately, the case should be tried in a fast-track court and justice should be given to Deshmukh’s family as soon as possible.”
Twelve days after Deshmukh’s murder, the Maharashtra Police have ramped up their investigation, transferring the case to the Crime Investigation Department (CID). A special team of Beed police has been searching for the three absconding accused.
Munde, describing the murder as unfortunate and shocking, assured that no one would be protected due to their connections. “The police are going deep into the roots of the case,” he said.
However, Munde also claimed that political motives were behind the case, accusing detractors of attempting to damage his reputation to block his potential appointment as Beed’s Guardian Minister. “Some people wake up every day to criticise me and try to involve me in this case, though I have no connection to it,” Munde added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut criticised Chief Minster Devendra Fadnavis, accusing him of protecting Beed’s Naxals. Raut highlighted that 38 murders had occurred in Beed over the past few years and questioned Fadnavis’s commitment to combating Naxalism in the region.
“The mastermind behind Deshmukh’s murder is in the cabinet,” Raut charged, further asserting that an all-party morcha would be held on December 29 to demand action against the true culprits.
Meanwhile, Congress state president Nana Patole joined the chorus of criticism, accusing the BJP government of attempting to suppress the investigations into the murders in Parbhani and Beed. “The government is unwilling to accept the facts, and we are clear about the outcome of the inquiry,” Patole remarked.
Social activist Anjali Damania also stirred controversy by posting a video online showing Munde with Walmik Karad, holding a gun and driving a car together.
