Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde resigns over aide's 'link' to sarpanch murder
Munde’s aide Walmik Karad has been named as accused number one in the CID’s chargesheet in the murder case and two related cases
Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde has resigned after his close aide Walmik Karad was named as an accused in sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh’s murder case.
Munde, who handled the food and civil supplies department, put in his papers reportedly after being instructed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to do so.
Pawar, Fadnavis meeting
Sources said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar met Fadnavis on Monday night to discuss the fallout of the CID's chargesheet filed in the Deshmukh murder case and two related cases in which Karad been named accused number one.
Also read: Beed sarpanch murder | All-party delegation demands Munde's ouster from cabinet
"Fadnavis has asked Dhananjay Munde to resign as minister today," a source said.
Munde is the NCP MLA from Parli in Beed district. He was earlier the guardian minister of Beed.
Currently, NCP head Ajit Pawar is the guardian minister of Beed district along with Pune.
Beed sarpanch murder
Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9 last year allegedly for attempting to stop an extortion bid targeting an energy company in the district.
The state Crime Investigation Department (CID) on February 27 filed a more than 1,200-page chargesheet at a court in Beed district in Deshmukh's murder and two related cases.
Also read: Maharashtra | Sarpanch murder case probe is 'hogwash', alleges Anjali Damania
Three separate cases – murder of sarpanch, bid to extort money from Avaada company and assault on security guard of the firm – have been registered at Kej police station in Beed. The police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused in the cases.
Seven persons have been arrested so far and booked under the MCOCA. One of the accused is still at large.
