POLITICAL leaders cutting across the party lines on Monday called on Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan, urging him to remove Dhananjay Munde from the State Cabinet to ensure a free and fair probe into the killing of Beed Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Amid the controversy and demand for his ouster from the Cabinet, Munde met Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar on Monday. However, details of the meeting were not available. The delegation, comprising Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar and BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, submitted a memorandum to the Governor, requesting him to take decisive action on the issue that would help uphold the rule of law and regain public confidence in the dispensation of justice. Deshmukh, the Sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was tragically 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, police have so far arrested seven persons connected to the case, including Walmik Karad, an aide to Munde. Karad’s involvement has raised eyebrows, particularly following his public surrender via a social media video on December 31, 2024. The event attracted large crowds at the CID headquarters in Pune, leading to concerns over potential disorder and preferential treatment. The leaders have demanded Munde’s resignation, a murder case against Karad, strict action against negligent police officials, and measures to curb extortion and hooliganism in Beed. Dhas, the only legislator from the ruling dispensation part of the delegation, rubbished Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut’s claims that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had supported his tirade against Karad. Dhas has levelled several allegations against Karad and his associates and hinted that Munde supported Karad. The BJP MLA said, “The Chief Minister has not asked me to say things. He (Fadnavis) would have told me if he disapproved of whatever I have said and done so far. He could have asked me to stop, but he hasn’t.”

 

 

 

 

NATIONALIST Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has appealed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to review security arrangements for public representatives and other leaders and provide them adequate police protection. In a letter written to Fadnavis, Pawar expressed concern over some of the killers of Santosh Deshmukh, Sarpanch of a village in Beed district, still at large nearly one month after the incident. The reaction to the brutal incident is now coming across the State and the first ‘Akrosh Morcha’ was organised recently in Beed.