Beed sarpanch murder: CM Fadnavis asks CID to seize properties of accused

Fadnavis, who took over as CM on December 5 following the BJP-led coalition's election victory and who holds the Home portfolio, is facing heat from the opposition over the brutal murder of sarpanch

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the police's Crime Investigation Department (CID) to confiscate properties of the accused in the murder case of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.

A Home department official on Saturday also said Fadnavis has asked the authorities to cancel the arms licenses of people whose pictures or videos showing them firing in the air or flaunting guns in public have circulated on social media.

Fadnavis, who took over as CM on December 5 following the BJP-led coalition's election victory and who holds the Home portfolio, is facing heat from the opposition over the brutal murder of the sarpanch in Beed district earlier this month.

The Maharashtra police's CID has taken over the probe into the murder case.

"Chief Minister Fadnavis has asked the CID to confiscate properties of the accused in the murder case," the official said.

Meanwhile, participants of a huge protest rally in Beed on Saturday, attended by MLAs and local leaders of opposition and ruling parties in Beed, demanded that NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, who hails from the district, be removed.

The role of Walmik Karad, an associate of Munde, has come under the scanner after the sarpanch's murder.

According to police, Deshmukh was apparently killed after he opposed an extortion bid targeting an energy firm which is installing windmills in Beed district.

Local NCP leader Vishnu Chate had allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore from the company. Deshmukh tried to intervene, leading to his abduction, torture and death on December 9. Chate is among the four arrested accused.