India News | Timely Action in Extortion Case Would Have Saved Beed Sarpanch's Life: NCP Leader

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jan 13 (PTI) NCP (SP) leader Bajrang Sonawane on Monday raised questions about the investigation into the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh and said a police inspector, who was suspended, must be made an accused in the related extortion case.

Talking to reporters, the Beed MP said timely action by the police in the extortion case would have saved the life of Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, who was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9.

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The sarpanch was targeted because he tried to thwart an attempt to extort money from an energy firm operating a windmill project.

Walmik Karad, an associate of Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, has been arrested in the extortion case.

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The CID has so far arrested seven accused in the murder case, while one person is still at large.

Talking to reporters, Beed MP Sonawane said, "The events leading up to the murder began on May 28 last year when a case of extortion was registered against one Ramesh Ghule and an unidentified person. But while Ghule was later arrested and granted bail, the unidentified accused was never caught."

He claimed the accused demanded money from an employee of Avaada company on November 29, 2024. They reached the firm's yard for the money on December 6, and the extortion case (against Karad) was registered on December 11.

The NCP (SP) said if the police had acted earlier, Santosh Deshmukh would have been alive.

He further demanded the policeman, who was allegedly present when the accused arrived at the Avaada company's yard and was suspended, must be booked in the extortion case.

Sonawane claimed the police had lied to the murdered sarpanch's brother Dhananjay Deshmukh when he arrived at the police station to lodge a complaint of kidnapping.

"When Dhananjay went to the police station, he was told that his brother would come in a few minutes. But later, Santosh Deshmukh's body was found. How did the police find out about the body?" he asked.

The MP further alleged that an accused in the extortion case met the former guardian minister at his bungalow. He questioned how the police let the man and who had helped him get away.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)