Thousands gathered in Maharashtra’s Beed on Saturday to protest against the brutal murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The “Aakrosh Morcha” (protest march), culminating in a rally, witnessed participation from Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, former MP Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, local BJP MLAs Suresh Dhas and Abhimanyu Pawar, NCP MLA Prakash Solanke, and NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLAs Jitendra Awhad and Sandeep Kshirsagar.
The protesters demanded the arrest of Walmik Karad, an associate of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, alleging his involvement in the case, news agency PTI reported. Deshmukh was abducted and tortured to death on 9 December, reportedly after opposing an extortion bid targeting an energy firm installing windmills in Beed district. Four individuals, including local NCP leader Vishnu Chate, have been arrested. Karad, however, remains at large.
According to PTI, Vaibhavi Deshmukh, daughter of the deceased sarpanch, demanded justice for her father, stating, “He lost his life while saving a person from the Dalit community.”
#Beed
मस्साजोगचे सरपंच संतोष देशमुख यांच्या मारेकऱ्यांना कठोर शिक्षा व्हावी, या मागणीसाठी बीडमध्ये सर्वपक्षीय मूकमोर्चा, नागरिकांचा मोठा सहभाग#BeedHatyakand #BeedCrime pic.twitter.com/AfBT17N2Rv
— AIR News Mumbai, आकाशवाणी मुंबई (@airnews_mumbai) December 28, 2024
Abhimanyu Pawar, a BJP MLA and former aide of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, expressed discontent with the government’s inaction. “Even if I am part of the ruling dispensation, I want to tell the government that if the accused are not arrested, protests will reach other parts of the state. We want justice for the family of Santosh Deshmukh,” he said, as quoted by PTI.
BJP MLA Suresh Dhas alleged electoral malpractices in favour of Munde, claiming he won the assembly election from Parli in Beed district with bogus votes.
NCP MLA Prakash Solanke criticised the lack of progress in the investigation, stating, “Some of the accused are still at large even 19 days after the murder, and Walmik Karad too has not been arrested. Until the accused are convicted, Dhananjay Munde should be dropped from the state cabinet to ensure an impartial probe.”
Social activist Anjali Damania claimed she received a call suggesting three absconding accused in the case had been murdered. She reportedly informed the Beed police.
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Beed Sarpanch Murder Case: CM Fadnavis Directs CID To Seize Properties Of Accused
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the police to seize the properties of the accused in the murder case of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Additionally, a Home Department official revealed that Fadnavis has requested the authorities to revoke the firearms licenses of individuals whose photographs or videos, circulating on social media, depict them firing in the air or displaying guns in public, PTI reported. Fadnavis, who assumed the position of Chief Minister on December 5 following the BJP-led coalition’s electoral triumph and holds the Home department portfolio, is facing criticism from the Opposition regarding the heinous murder.
Beed Sarpanch Murder Case: Manoj Jarange Accuses Fadnavis Govt Of Shielding Accused
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange accused the government of shielding the accused and warned, “The Maratha community will not keep quiet till the deceased gets justice. If CM Fadnavis does not want this protest to spread, the accused should be arrested, and action should be taken against those supporting them.”
Beed MP Bajrang Sonawane, from the Opposition NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Sambhaji Raje, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, also demanded Munde’s removal. Local Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders joined the call, urging resignations of both Dhananjay Munde and BJP minister Pankaja Munde, his cousin.
Dhananjay Munde, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister and former guardian minister of Beed, has denied the allegations, claiming they are part of a conspiracy to tarnish his political career. After meeting Chief Minister Fadnavis earlier this week, Munde stated, “I want strict action against all the culprits in the murder case, even if any of them are found to be close to me.”
Uddhav Thackeray To Meet Santosh Deshmukh’s Family In Beed
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will visit Parbhani and Beed in the first week of January to meet the families of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh and Dalit man Somnath Suryavanshi. Thackeray will also meet the kin of Suryavanshi, who allegedly died in judicial custody after his arrest in connection with the violence over the desecration of a replica of the Constitution in Parbhani. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut announced the visits on Saturday, as per PTI.
NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar met the families of Suryavanshi and Deshmukh last week. The leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also met Suryavanshi’s family in Parbhani.
Police have arrested four individuals, including former tehsil chief Vishnu Chate, in connection with Deshmukh’s murder. They are also on the lookout for three other individuals named as wanted accused of kidnapping Deshmukh and brutally killing him on December 9.
