CID books Munde aide Karad under MCOCA in extortion case

Demonstrations were held despite orders prohibiting such acts in Beed district till January 28. Cops and onlookers saved 2 from self-immolation

- Nadeem Inamdar

PUNE: On Tuesday, the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Walmik Karad -- a close aide of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Dhananjay Munde -- who was arrested in an extortion case on December 31, related to the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.

The CID had earlier slapped charges under MCOCA against eight arrested accused in the case.

The action on Karad comes after persistent demands from family members of the slain sarpanch, Beed legislator Suresh Dhas and villagers, including Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil. MCOCA makes it difficult for the accused to secure bail while the punishment ranges from minimum five years to life imprisonment.

Karad was arrested in a ₹2-crore extortion case after he surrendered before the state CID office in Pashan, Pune; thereafter, he was remanded to 14 days' police custody, which ended on Tuesday.

On Tuesday afternoon, Kej sessions court had granted Karad judicial custody when he was produced before the judge. CID had sought an extension of his police custody by 10 days, which the court denied, granting him judicial custody instead.

Following this, the CID moved an application before the MCOCA court to book him under the stringent act. The MCOCA court issued a production warrant against Karad; he is likely to be produced in court on Wednesday, said a member of SIT probing the case. Police will now seek his custody under the MCOCA.