Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
A criminal petition has been filed in the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court demanding that the police be given appropriate instructions regarding the investigation into the kidnapping and murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the Sarpanch of Massajog in Beed district. The petition also highlights the political connections of the mastermind of the extortion case, Walmik Baburao Karad, with minister Dhananjay Munde. The petition seeks directions for proper action from the police chief and the state's home secretary to ensure an impartial investigation into the incident.
The petition was filed by Dhananjay Deshmukh, the younger brother of the deceased Santosh Deshmukh, through Adv. Shomitkumar V. Salunke. Santosh Deshmukh was kidnapped and brutally murdered on December 9, and since then, no arrests have been made in the case. The mastermind behind the incident, Karad, is named in the supplementary statement of complaint. Karad has a previous criminal record for extortion. The petition demands that action be taken against Karad under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
The petitioners have presented evidence of the close relationship between Karad and minister Dhananjay Munde, including thousands of photos from their official Instagram and Facebook accounts, documents related to their previous business partnerships, numerous videos of them together, and speeches and comments about them. Specifically, the petitioner gave reference to speeches made in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, including detailed speeches of MLAs Suresh Dhas, Sandeep Kshirsagar, Namita Mundada, and Jitendra Awhad. He requested the court to consider them as evidence and evaluate them before issuing an appropriate order.
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Removal of ministership until investigation is complete
Considering the close relationship between minister Dhananjay Munde and the accused Walmik Karad, the petitioners argue that political interference in the investigation cannot be ruled out. In light of this, the petition requests the court to issue an order removing minister Dhananjay Munde from his ministerial position until the investigation into the kidnapping and murder case is completed.