Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (AP) leader Dhananjay Munde -- who is in the eye of a controversy over the sensational murder of a Sarpanch in his home district of Beed – on Thursday refused to resign from his post, a couple days after prime accused in the murder case Walmik Karad surrendered to the police.
The development came a day after the Maharashtra government set up formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the murder of Massajog village Sarpanch, Santosh Pandit in the wake of Karad’s surrender before surrendered to the CID Pune office on Tuesday.
Karad, who is allegedly linked to with Dhananjay Munde, is currently in 14 days’ police custody. Karad is the key accused in the Rs two crore extortion case linked to the murder.
Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh (45) was allegedly killed for attempting to thwart the extortion bid on the windmill company. He was first abducted, brutally tortured and later killed in broad daylight near the windmill company office on the afternoon of December 9, 2024.
Talking to media persons here, Munde wondered: “Why should I resign? I am in no way directly or indirectly involved (in the murder or extortion cases)…the police is probing the matter”, Mundee, who is a close confidant of NCP President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, said that the state government had announced three probes - by Crime Investigation Department (CID), a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and a judicial inquiry.
“I want that the charge-sheet be filed at the earliest, the accused should be tried before a fast track court and those found guilty should be hanged,” Munde said.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the state home portfolio, had earlier said:“No one would be spared…we will not allow goonda raj in Maharashtra”.
Four persons - Vishnu Chate, Jairam Chate, Mahesh Kedar and Pratik Ghule – hav so far been arrested in connection with the murder, while three others Sudarshan Ghule, Krushna Andhale and Sudhir Sangle wanted in the case are absconding.
