Sarpanch murder linked to extortion, plotted by Munde aide: Charge sheet

PUNE: The state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday submitted a 1,400-page chargesheet to the Special MCOCA court against eight accused in the Beed sarpanch murder case, which has rocked the state since the brutal killing on December 9 last year.

Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was kidnapped, tortured, killed, and his body left by a highway, after he thwarted an extortion attempt on a local energy company. The case has consistently made headlines, not only due to the brutal nature of the murder but also because it took a political turn, placing NCP minister Dhananjay Munde in the spotlight for his connections with one of the prime accused.

The chargesheet, filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state CID, relates to three First Information Reports (FIRs) registered in the case, according to an officer of the investigating team. The first FIR relates to Deshmukh’s murder; the second concerns a ₹2-crore extortion demand from Avada Wind Energy; and the third deals with the application of MCOCA provisions in connection with the murder. All three cases were lodged at the Kej police station in Beed.

The chargesheet details the role of Beed strongman Walmik Karad in Deshmukh’s murder, along with supporting evidence. It describes how the seven other accused conspired and executed the killing, including their individual roles. The investigation also sheds light on the alleged extortion attempt by Vishnu Chate and Walmik Karad, linking it directly to the murder.

It provides proof connecting the extortion, the murder, and other related crimes. Further, it includes findings on who helped the accused escape, their movements after fleeing the crime scene, weapons used, and how the crime was executed. The investigation also examines whether police officials failed in their duties, and possible negligence. Additionally, it covers the properties amassed by Karad, his potential involvement in organised crime alongside Sudarshan Ghule, and digital call data records (CDR) that provide evidence of the criminal backgrounds of the accused.

After Deshmukh’s murder on December 9 last year, the state government had set up an SIT, launched a CID investigation, and appointed a judicial commission to probe the case. The chargesheet was filed a day after the government appointed senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor (SPP) in the case.

The CID had arrested Sudarshan Ghule, Vishnu Chate, Jairam Chate, Mahesh Kedar, Siddhartha Sonawane, Sudhir Sangale and Prateek Ghule. Walmik Karad, a close associate of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, along with Vishnu Chate and Sudarshan Ghule, had been booked for allegedly demanding ₹2 crore in extortion from Avada Wind Energy after a complaint was filed against them by project officer Sunil Shinde on December 11. Karad had surrendered before the State CID in Pune on December 31. He was later charged under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999.

Dhananjay Deshmukh, brother of the slain sarpanch, said, “The chargesheet would provide complete details of the murder case, but I would be able to comment further only after receiving a copy on Monday.”

He said he was confident that the CID-SIT had conducted a thorough investigation. “The case was a complex one, involving not just the accused but also their backers and the wider network behind the extortion and murder,” said Deshmukh.

Although 80 days have passed since the murder, another accused Krushna Andhale is still absconding. Massajog villagers had demanded the appointment of Nikam before the chargesheet was submitted to the court.