3 More Arrested in Sarpanch Murder Case, Pressure Mounts for Munde’s Ouster
Mumbai: Beed police has arrested two of the three absconding suspects in Sarpanch murder case. Sudarshan Chandrabhan Ghule (26) and Sudhir Sangle (23) have been handed over to the special investigation team (SIT). Meanwhile protests continued over the murder of Massjog village Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Ajit Pawar-led NCP legislator Prakash Solanke also demanded ouster of his party’s minister Dhananjay Munde to ensure impartial investigation into the murder case.
While Ghule and Sangle were arrested from Pune, one Siddharth Sonawane was held from Kalyan in Thane district. Ghule and Sangle are named in the FIR for the murder. However, Sonawane’s name surfaced during the investigation. Police suspect Sonawane, a resident of Massajog village, kept a tab on the movement of sarpanch Deshmukh and updated other accused.
With the three new arrests, the total number of the arrested accused in the case has now increased to seven. Krushna Andhale, another suspect, is still absconding.
Ghule, the main suspect in the case, has at least 10 serious criminal cases against him including murder, extortion and kidnapping. Sangle also has prior cases like assault and trespassing against him. Both of them have been remanded to 14-days police custody.
Deshmukh was abducted and murdered on December 9 allegedly for opposing an extortion bid by Ghule and others, who had demanded money from a windmill company. The post-mortem report revealed that there were 56 injuries on Deshmukh’s body. The accused persons allegedly used a gas cylinder pipe with iron wires around it, knuckle dusters and wooden batons to beat Deshmukh.
The murder has triggered a major political upheaval in the Beed district where leaders from all parties have opened a united front against NCP minister Dhananjay Munde. They have alleged that Mr. Munde’s “right hand man” Walmik Karad is the kingpin of the murder conspiracy. Karad has been arrested in connection with an extortion case, but not in the murder case. The police have said that they will charge Karad for murder if it is found that the extortion case, which was filed a few days before Deshmukh’s killing, and the murder case are linked.
An all-party march was held in the neighbouring Parbhani district on Saturday to demand thorough investigation in the Deshmukh murder case. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange also participated in the protest march. NCP (SP) MLA Sandeep Khsirsagar demanded that the case should be tried before a fast track court. BJP MLA Suresh Dhas said that Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime should be invoked against the accused in the case.
NCP legislator Prakash Solanke, who represents the Majalgaon assembly constituency in Beed district, said that Mr. Munde should not remain in the state cabinet so that a fair investigation can be carried out in the case. “Mr. Munde should stay out of the cabinet to ensure a fair probe into the sarpanch’s murder. If he is unwilling, the (NCP) leadership should ask him to do so. I have spoken to (Deputy CM) Ajit Pawar and (Chief Minister) Devendra Fadnavis,” Mr. Solanke said.
