Prohibitory orders have been enforced in Maharashtra's Beed district until January 28 following protests over the brutal murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The district administration has banned the assembly of five or more people without prior permission and prohibited carrying weapons in public places.
Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village, was allegedly abducted, tortured, and murdered on December 9. Investigations suggest he was targeted for resisting an extortion attempt on an energy company engaged in a windmill project. Seven suspects have been arrested, while one remains at large. Additionally, Walmik Karad, an associate of state minister Dhananjay Deshmukh, has been arrested in a related extortion case.
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Dhananjay Deshmukh, Santosh’s brother, has demanded a thorough investigation by meeting with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief. Despite the Maharashtra government reshuffling the SIT team by replacing nine police officers with six CID officers, the victim's family has requested the inclusion of two more officials in the investigation.
On Monday, Dhananjay and other villagers staged a protest by climbing a government water tank, demanding Karad be charged with murder and booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Currently, Karad faces charges only in the extortion case. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, addressing the incident on Tuesday, urged police to ensure a fair and impartial investigation, emphasizing strict action against those involved in the sarpanch’s murder. He assured that no leniency would be shown toward the perpetrators.