Walmik Karad, who had been absconding in the Beed Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, surrendered to the CID in Pune just a few minutes after releasing the video. The police security was heightened outside the CID headquarters in Pune. Additionally, supporters of Dhananjay Munde began gathering in the vicinity of the headquarters.
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In a video before surrendering Karad said, "a false extortion complaint has been filed against me at the Kage police station. I am surrendering at the CID office in Pashan (in Pune) despite having pre-arrest bail powers. The killers of Santosh Deshmukh should be arrested and given the death penalty. My name is being dragged into this case due to political vendettas. If the police investigation proves anything against me, I am ready to face punishment."
The murder of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh of Massajog in Beed district of Maharashtra has sparked widespread discussions regarding the security situation in the district. This issue was also raised during the state winter assembly session. Last week, an all-party march was held in Beed to demand justice for the Sarpanch. In response, opposition parties levelled allegations against the ruling government. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis transferred the investigation of the case to the CID.
On December 9, Santosh Deshmukh was kidnapped and later murdered, sending shockwaves through the region. So far, four suspects have been arrested in connection with the case. Walmik Karad, who had been absconding for three weeks, has now surrendered. He is reportedly the fifth suspect in the case.
The CID had formed special teams to locate Karad, freezing his passport and bank accounts in the process. Facing mounting pressure, Karad decided to surrender.
Video of his impending surrender went viral earlier in the day, prompting a crowd of his supporters to gather outside the CID office in Pune. Walmik Karad's supporters claim he has been falsely accused of extortion due to political enmity. Many supporters, hailing from Beed and Ahmednagar, gathered in solidarity outside the CID office.
While Karad is not officially listed as an accused in the murder case, his name has been embroiled in controversies linked to the incident. Authorities are continuing their investigation to ascertain the facts.