Beed Sarpanch Murder Case: Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde Resigns After Close Aide Named In Chargesheet
Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde resigned on Monday amid pressure from the opposition as one of his close aides was arrested in connection with the Beed Sarpanch’s murder. Munde was Cabinet Minister and was handling Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Protection . According to reports, he resigned after CM Devendra Fadnavis held a high-level meeting with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
“Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde has tendered his resignation today. I have accepted the resignation and sent it to the Governor for further course of action,” said Fadnavis while addressing media.
The resignation is linked to Walmik Karad, a close associate of Munde, who has been named as an accused in the case. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis convened a late-night meeting on Monday with Deputy CM and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, along with senior party members, including Munde, to deliberate on the matter.
Karad was taken into custody in connection with the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village.
Reports suggest that Fadnavis acted following discussions with Ajit Pawar, assessing the political implications of the chargesheet filed in the case. The investigation has reportedly shed light on Karad’s alleged involvement in the crime.
On December 9, Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of the Masajog village in Beed district was murdered after he allegedly opposed an extortion attempt targeting an energy firm installing windmills in the area. The extortion attempt was allegedly led by a local leader, who demanded Rs 2 crore from the company. Deshmukh’s intervention allegedly led to his abduction, torture, and subsequent murder.
