Deshmukh case to be tried in fast-track court, CM confirms

The case relating to the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, in which an aide of food and civil supplies minister Dhananjay Munde is the main accused, will be tried in a fast-track court, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Saturday.

- Nadeem Inamdar

PUNE: The 1,400-page charge sheet submitted by the state Criminal Investigation Department's (CID) special investigation team (SIT) before Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court in Beed has cited supporting evidence of the role of minister Dhananjay Munde's close aide Walmik Karad as mastermind in the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh and describes in detail how the other seven accused executed the killing.

Karad, according to the charge sheet, is shown as the accused number one while another accused Sudarshan Ghule is referred as gang leader.

The charge sheet describes the roles played by each of the accused and throws light on the extortion attempt by Karad and accused Vishnu Chate, directly linking it to the murder. The Beed police had filed three cases of atrocity, extortion and murder, but CID-SIT has clubbed the cases together in the final charge sheet. The authorities examined 180 witnesses.

The charge sheet is replete with CCTV footage evidence related to ₹2 crore extortion demand made by Karad and the voice samples gathered by the investigators to support their claim that the money demand was made before Avada company officials by Karad and other accused. SIT chief Basavraj Teli has submitted digital evidence examined and certified by a forensic laboratory as proof with the charge sheet.

Chate has been listed as an accused wherein Karad had made a mobile call from the former's number to Avada wind energy official on November 29, 2024 demanding extortion. "Stop that work. Do that immediately, failing which there will be serious consequences. Remember if you start the work again," states the mobile call records. Later, a demand of ₹2 crore was made.