Santosh Deshmukh Murder Case: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Orders Property Confiscation of Wanted Accused in Beed Sarpanch's Killing

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the CID to initiate the process of confiscating the properties of the three absconding accused in the murder case of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district. The instructions come three weeks after the brutal killing, three of the seven accused remain at large .

Beed murder case of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh | Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadanvis has directed CID to initiate the process to confiscate the properties of the wanted accused. Instructions have also been given to verify viral pictures of people with guns and if pictures are found…

— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2024

The Home Department has also been tasked with verifying viral images showing individuals displaying firearms. If the images are found to be genuine, officials have been instructed to begin the process of cancelling their arms licenses and confiscating the weapons.

The murder of Deshmukh has sparked widespread outrage across Maharashtra. Thousands participated in a massive all-party rally in Beed on Thursday to demand the immediate arrest of the remaining accused. 

Four suspects in the murder have been arrested, but the police have faced criticism for their failure to apprehend the remaining three. With over 1,200 people in Beed holding arms licenses, incidents of celebratory gunfire have reportedly increased, adding to public concern.

Meanwhile, approximately 1,200 people in Beed have been issued arms licenses, leading to frequent shooting incidents in the district. Videos of people firing in the air to create panic have gone viral on social media. In response, Fadnavis has ordered the verification of viral images showing people with firearms. If the images are found to be genuine, the process to cancel their arms licenses will begin.