"Heard Inner Self": Minister Quits As Aide Is Arrested For Sarpanch Murder

Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde has resigned after one of his close aides was arrested in connection with the chilling murder of a sarpanch in Beed district in December. Mr Munde, who held the portfolios of food and civil supplies, has stepped down on the instructions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after his aide Walmik Karad was arrested for his alleged role in the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village.

In a post on X, Mr Munde said it has been his firm demand that the accused in the sarpanch's murder case get the harshest punishment. "Seeing the photos that surfaced yesterday, I was deeply saddened. The investigation into this matter has been completed and the charge sheet has been filed in the court. Also, a judicial inquiry is proposed," he said. The NCP leader said he had heard his "inner self" to take the decision. He said his health has also not been well and the doctor had advised him to undergo treatment soon.

Mr Fadnavis told the media that he had accepted Mr Munde's resignation and had forwarded it to Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

According to sources, the missive from Mr Fadnavis came after a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to discuss the political fallout of a chargesheet in the sarpanch's murder case and what the investigation revealed about Karad's alleged role.

Forty-nine-year-old Dhananjay Munde is an MLA from Ajit Pawar's NCP and represents Beed's Parli seat in the Assembly. The nephew of BJP veteran, the late Gopinath Munde, Dhananjay Munde is a cousin of Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde. Dhananjay Munde joined the NCP in 2013. When the Sharad Pawar-led party split in 2023, he sided with Ajit Pawar. In the past, he has served as Leader of the Opposition in the legislative council and as a state minister in the Uddhav Thackeray government.

Behind Minister's Ouster, A Chilling Murder

Santosh Deshmukh, the 45-year-old sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9 after he tried to stop an extortion attempt targeting an energy company, the investigation has revealed.

The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of state police filed a 1,200-page chargesheet in a district court on February 27. Three cases -- relating to the sarpanch's murder, attempt to extort money from Avaada company and an assault on security guard of the firm -- have been registered. The stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) has been invoked against eight accused. Seven have been arrested and one is on the run. Among the arrested accused is Karad, a close aide of Dhananjay Munde, building pressure on the state government to act against the minister.

Brutal Torture, Shocking Videos

Santosh Deshmukh was abducted by six men in an SUV on December 9 at Dongaon toll plaza and taken towards Kej taluka. He was found unconscious at Daithna Shivar towards Nandur Ghat Road that evening. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead.

According to police officials, he was beaten for over two hours with a gas pipe an iron rod, wooden sticks and sharp weapons.

Police have said in the chargesheet that Santosh Deshmukh was tortured before being killed and the assailants recorded 15 videos, clicked eight photos and even made two video calls to document the brutality. In one of the videos mentioned in the chargesheet, five accused are seen thrashing Mr Deshmukh with a white pipe and a wooden stick, and kicking and punching him. The video shows Deshmukh in a half-naked condition. Another video shows one of the accused urinating on him as he bleeds heavily, the chargesheet says.