Dhananjay Munde Denies Involvement in Sarpanch Murder, Rules Out Resignation
Mumbai: The murder of a sarpanch in Beed over the alleged extortion case continues to stir Maharashtra politics with the NCP minister Dhananjay Munde denying involvement in the crime and refusing to resign over the matter.
“I will not resign. I am in no way directly or indirectly involved in the murder or extortion case and the police are probing the matter,” Munde said in Mumbai.
His remarks came after his close aide Walmik Karad was surrendered before the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in Pune on Tuesday in connection with Rs two crore extortion case linked to the sarpanch’s murder. Subhash Deshmukh (45), a sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted and murdered on December 9 allegedly for opposing an extortion bid by some persons who had demanded money from a windmill company.
Munde denied his involvement in the murder demanding that those who killed Deshmukh should be tried in a fast-track court and hanged to death.
“I want that the chargesheet be filed at the earliest, the case being tried before a fast-track court and hanging of the accused persons,” said Munde.
Taking note of the serious nature of the crime, the State Government has announced three probes - by the Crime Investigation Department (CID), a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and a judicial inquiry. The SIT will be headed by CID’s Deputy Inspector General Basavraj Teli.
Meanwhile, NCP (SP) MP from Beed Bajrang Sonawane alleged that the car in which Karad arrived for surrendering in an extortion case was earlier part of Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's convoy.
“The car he used to reach the CID office was also in Massajog when Ajit Pawar visited the village. The person who owned the car was also present at the protest march we took out in Beed (over Santosh Deshmukh’s murder). Such persons should be added as accused,” he said.
The opposition has demanded that the trial in Deshmukh's murder case should be conducted outside Beed district.
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad Ambadas Danve said, “The trial of the Santosh Deshmukh murder case should be conducted outside Beed.”
