Walmik Karad, a close associate of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, surrendered in Pune in connection with an extortion case linked to a sarpanch's murder. He has been remanded to 14-day police custody.
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Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Dhananjay Munde’s close aide, Walmik Karad, who was wanted in an extortion case linked to the brutal murder of a sarpanch in Beed district, has surrendered and been remanded in 14-day police custody. According to PTI, Karad turned himself in at the Crime Investigation Department (CID) office in Pune on Tuesday morning.
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Inspector General of Police Sarang Awad confirmed that Karad arrived at the CID premises in a car, accompanied by his associates. A preliminary inquiry was conducted, and he was subsequently handed over to the Beed CID team, which is probing both the murder and the related extortion case. Later that evening, he was presented before a court in Kej, Beed district, where he was remanded to 14 days of police custody during a late-night hearing.
Before surrendering, Karad released a video on social media alleging that he was being implicated in the case due to political vendetta, as per PTI. The case concerns the abduction and murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed. Deshmukh was abducted last month and found murdered on 9th December. Reports suggest he was targeted for opposing an extortion attempt by individuals demanding money from a windmill company.
Four suspects have already been arrested in connection with the murder, while Karad was listed as a wanted accused in the extortion case.
The situation has intensified political tensions in Maharashtra, with the opposition criticising Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his government’s handling of the case. During the recent winter session of the Maharashtra legislature, the opposition alleged that Karad was the “mastermind” behind Deshmukh’s murder. Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe demanded the investigation be overseen by a sitting judge and questioned the government’s inability to track Karad for nearly three weeks.
NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad called for Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde’s resignation, questioning how a fair probe could occur with Munde in office. The situation is further complicated by Karad’s known association with Munde, who hails from Beed, and by the caste dynamics of the case. While the victim belonged to the Maratha community, the accused, including Karad, are from the OBC Vanjari community.
Chief Minister Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, assured swift action. “Until the guilty are brought to justice, the police will continue their duty. We will not tolerate 'goonda raj' in Maharashtra,” Fadnavis said, as per PTI. He also spoke to the victim’s brother, promising justice.
Meanwhile, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has warned of a community-wide agitation if the government fails to act against individuals shielding the accused. Former Rajya Sabha MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati has demanded the application of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Karad, stating that the act would ensure a thorough investigation and make bail difficult.
Despite Karad’s surrender, political pressure mounts on the Fadnavis-led coalition government, with demands for Minister Munde’s resignation coming even from his own party leaders. While the ruling party lauded Karad’s surrender, the opposition continues to question the delay and its implications for the state’s law-and-order situation.
(With inputs from PTI)
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