Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced that the accused in Beed sarpanch kidnapping and murder case will be prosecuted under the organised crime act. The MCOCA will be applied to everyone who helped the accused or took part in the conspiracy, he said.
The gruesome murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh on December 9 has rocked the Maharashtra legislature for the last four days. Informing the Legislative Assembly about the brutalities committed by Deshmukh’s killers, Mr. Fadnavis said that even Valmik Karad, reportedly a close associate of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, will not be spared if his link with the murder is established.
Mr. Fadnavis also admitted a “complete lawlessness” in Beed district and assured that a special drive will be undertaken to curb the crime syndicates operating in the district. He also announced the transfer of the Beed superintendent of police.
Calling it a case of an organised crime syndicate involved in extortion from industrialists investing in projects in the district, the Maharashtra CM said that the arrested accused also have other serious criminal cases against them.
According to Mr. Fadnavis, on December 6, arrested accused Ashok Ghule, Sudarshan Ghule and Pratik Ghule had visited the project office of Avada Energy. Apparently, they wanted the company to pay ransom money or stop the project. The company has invested in the wind power project in Beed district. They first assaulted watchman Amardeep Sonawane. When manager Shivaji Thopte tried to intervene, he was also attacked. The manager then contacted local sarpanch Deshmukh, who arrived at the site along with his supporters and thrashed the three accused. The video of their thrashing had gone viral. Three days later, Deshmukh was kidnapped from his car near a toll naka and beaten to death.
The opposition has alleged that Karad was the mastermind behind the murder. Mr. Fadnavis said that an extortion case has already been filed against Karad for demanding Rs two crore from the company. “If it emerges that the extortion case and the murder are linked or the police find proof of Karad’s involvement in the murder, even he will not be spared,” he said.
However, the MVA staged a walkout from the House shouting slogans that the government is protecting Mr. Munde. Outside assembly, NCP(SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad said, “The CM tried to safeguard his cabinet colleague Dhananjay Munde. Walmik Karad is a right hand man of Dhananjay Munde.”
Mr. Fadnavis said that a special investigation team under the IG will investigate the case and also announced a judicial inquiry into the larger issue of law and order situation in Beed.
The Maharashtra CM also announced a judicial probe into the violence that erupted in Parbhani following the desecration of a Constitution replica. He said that the desecration was carried out by a mentally unfit person. While the majority of protests were peaceful, at some places 200-300 people vandalised “closed shops” and burned vehicles, he said.
The death of one of the protesters, law student Somanath Suryawanshi, has sparked outrage among the Dalit community. However, Mr. Fadnavis denied that he died because of police brutality in custody. However, he announced Rs 10 lakh ex gratia to the next of kin of the deceased in both Beed and Parbhani cases.
