Beed sarpanch murder causes political storm in Maharashtra: All we know

Deshmukh, a sarpanch in Beed's Massajog village, was tortured and murdered on December 9, 2024 by seven men

On Monday, Dhananjay Munde, NCP MLA and Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies in Maharashtra resigned from his position after his close aide, Walmik Karad, was named the main suspect in the horrific murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Maharashtra's Beed district. According to reports, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis instructed Munde to resign from his cabinet role.

 

“It has been my firm demand since day one that the accused in the brutal murder of the late Santosh Deshmukh of Massajog in Beed district should be given the strictest punishment. Seeing the photos that surfaced yesterday, I was deeply saddened,” Munde said in a post on X.

 

 

“The investigation into this matter has been completed and the charge sheet has been filed in the court. Also, a judicial inquiry is proposed. With respect to my morality and as my health has not been good for the past few days, the doctor has advised me to undergo treatment for the next few days, therefore, also for medical reasons, I have submitted my resignation from the cabinet…,” he added.

 

Here is everything that is known about the murder case of Santosh Deshmukh that has sent shockwaves through the political circles in Maharashtra.

 

What is the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case?

 

Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch (village head) of Massajog village in Beed, was tortured and murdered on December 9, 2024, by seven men. Last week, the state's Crime Investigation Department (CID) filed a detailed chargesheet in Beed district court, unveiling the shocking details of the case.

 

According to the police, Deshmukh was abducted by six men in an SUV from the Dongaon toll plaza, with another vehicle following them. Later that evening, he was found unconscious at Daithna Vihar near Nandur Ghat Road. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead.

 

In the chargesheet, the CID revealed that Deshmukh endured extreme brutality and torture before his final breath. The chargesheet stated that the killers used a 41-inch-long gas pipe, an iron rod with five clutch wires, wooden sticks, and sharp weapons to torment him. The political debate surrounding the case intensified after alleged videos of Deshmukh being tortured surfaced on social media.

 

Why was Deshmukh targeted?

 

According to reports, the primary motive behind Deshmukh's murder was his attempt to thwart an extortion attempt targeting an energy company. In retaliation, the accused planned and executed his murder. The case became highly politicised because the main accused, Walmik Karad, is a close aide of Dhananjay Munde. This sparked a heated political debate in the state. The opposition had been demanding Munde's resignation, a demand that was initially dismissed. However, today, Munde submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Fadnavis, which has been forwarded to the governor for approval, as confirmed by Fadnavis in a statement to the press. So far, seven individuals have been arrested in connection with the case.

 

Opposition’s criticism over the case

Since the newsemerged that the main accused in Deshmukh’s murder case is a close aide of Munde, the Opposition has been sharply criticising the state government, drawing attention to the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

 

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticised Munde's resignation as insufficient.

 

“The real need is to dismiss the government. The state of law and order has deteriorated. No one is able to monitor it. When the photos of the murder surfaced, the entire state of Maharashtra was stunned. The level of cruelty was unprecedented. The government was aware of it for months, yet it never took action until today,” Thackeray said.

 

“We don’t know what tied Fadnavis down. Why did he take so much time to ask Munde to resign? If the sarpanch’s family is not given justice, it will be a big blow on the face of Maharashtra. A revised chargesheet needs to be filed in the murder case and Dhananjay Munde should be made a co-accused,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) leader and Beed MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar said Munde should have resigned a long time ago.

 

“Munde should also be made the co-accused. Beed is on the boil. There is anger among the people. The accused should be hanged to death,” he added.