Fadnavis promises strict action in sarpanch murder case

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh during a visit to Beed district on Wednesday, and assured locals that the perpetrators would face strict action.

Addressing a public meeting, he said that no one involved in the crime would be spared, regardless of their influence or position. “The culprits behind this heinous act will not be spared, no matter who they are. Justice will be served,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve, has called for an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation into alleged financial dealings between Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Dhananjay Munde and his close aide, Walmik Karad. Mr. Danve, a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, made the demand on Tuesday, citing the need for transparency in light of recent controversies surrounding the minister.

Munde-Karad ‘nexus’

He drew parallels to the case of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray’s aide Suraj Chavan, who recently secured bail in a money laundering case involving the alleged scamming of a few lakh rupees. “When allegations worth crores of rupees are surfacing, the financial relationship between Dhananjay Munde and Walmik Karad must also be probed by the ED,” he said.

The Opposition has been intensifying pressure on the BJP-led Maharashtra government to dismiss Mr. Munde following the arrest of Karad in an extortion case linked to the murder of sarpanch Deshmukh. However, Mr. Munde has denied all allegations, including those regarding his business ties with Karad.

Mr. Danve further alleged that during Mr. Munde’s tenure as agriculture minister in the previous government, the department was effectively run by Mr. Munde and Karad, preventing many officers from functioning properly. “Dhananjay Munde is anti-farmer and should be sacked, irrespective of his community or caste,” he said. He warned that the upcoming session of the Maharashtra legislature would be disrupted unless Mr. Munde resigns.

The LoP in the Council also referenced allegations made by activist Anjali Damania, a former Aam Aadmi Party leader, who accused Mr. Munde’s agriculture department of bypassing the Union government’s 2016 directive on Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to farmers.