Pune:
Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde’s shut aide Walmik Karad, wished in an extortion case linked to the homicide of a sarpanch in Beed district, surrendered earlier than the police in Pune on Tuesday.
Whereas Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, dealing with warmth over the law-and-order state of affairs, stated no “goonda-raj” will probably be tolerated within the state, the Opposition questioned the police’s failure to nab Walmik Karad for about three weeks.
Earlier than turning himself in, Mr Karad posted a video on social media, claiming that he was being linked to the homicide for causes of political vendetta.
The Fadnavis-led coalition authorities, sworn in on December 5, finds itself in a difficult state of affairs due to Mr Karad’s hyperlinks with Dhananjay Munde, and in addition due to the caste angle. Whereas the sufferer was a Maratha, the accused are from the OBC Vanjari neighborhood.
Inspector Common of Police Sarang Awad stated after Mr Karad surrendered, a preliminary inquiry was carried out and he was handed over to the Crime Investigation Division (CID) group at Beed which is investigating the homicide and extortion instances.
Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Kej tehsil of Beed district, was kidnapped and brutally killed on December 9, allegedly for opposing an extortion bid by some individuals who had demanded cash from a windmill firm.
4 individuals had been earlier arrested within the homicide case, whereas Mr Karad was named as a wished accused within the extortion case.
On Tuesday morning, Mr Karad, along with his associates, arrived exterior the CID workplace in Pune in a automobile.
Earlier than that, he launched a video the place he stated, “I’m surrendering earlier than CID officers in Pune in a faux case registered towards me. Those that are concerned in Santosh Deshmukh’s case needs to be punished and hanged to loss of life. My identify is being taken within the case resulting from political vendetta.” The Opposition had alleged in the course of the winter session of the Maharashtra legislature that Mr Karad was the “mastermind” of the homicide.
On Saturday, 1000’s of individuals participated in an enormous protest march in Beed metropolis to demand Mr Karad’s arrest. MLAs of the ruling Mahayuti coalition together with these of the BJP and Nationalist Congress Social gathering (NCP) additionally attended the protest.
Opposition events have accused NCP minister Dhananjay Munde — who belongs to Beed — of getting shut hyperlinks with Mr Karad, and demanded his resignation to allow an neutral probe.
Vaibhavi Deshmukh, Santosh Deshmukh’s daughter, questioned the delay in Mr Karad’s arrest. She additionally demanded that police verify name element information (CDR) of all of the accused and discover out who they had been in contact with.
Chief minister Fadnavis, who holds the House division, stated he spoke with Deshmukh’s brother over cellphone, and warranted him that justice will probably be performed.
“Till the responsible are hanged to loss of life, the police will proceed to do their obligation. All people concerned within the Beed case will face prosecution. We won’t tolerate ‘goonda raj’ (rule of criminals)….No one will probably be spared,” he instructed reporters.
Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe questioned the police’s failure to trace down Mr Karad, and stated Fadnavis had no ethical grounds to stay chief minister.
A sitting decide ought to oversee the investigation within the Deshmukh homicide case, the Congress chief demanded.
NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad stated Meals and Civil Provides Minister Dhananjay Munde be sacked, asking how a suspect linked with him might be questioned whereas Munde stays within the cupboard. NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule stated Mr Karad posting a viral video and the police nonetheless remaining clueless about his whereabouts was surprising.
Suresh Dhas, BJP MLA from Beed district, congratulated CM Fadnavis over Mr Karad’s give up, however focused Mr Munde. Walmik Karad and Dhananjay Munde had been “two sides of the identical coin,” he claimed, including that Mr Munde’s resignation has been sought by his personal celebration leaders.
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange indicated that the Maratha neighborhood, to which Deshmukh belonged, would launch an agitation if the federal government did not take motion towards the supporters of the accused, whether or not they be ministers, MLAs or MPs.
Deshmukh’s brother Dhananjay, who met Jarange at Antarwali Sarati village, instructed reporters that the CID ought to look at the cellular name element information (CDR) of the accused to uncover their hyperlinks.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)