The murder of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh has sparked intense reactions across Maharashtra. Amid this, Deshmukh family met with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his residence today.
Fadnavis assured the family that action would continue until the gang responsible for the crime is fully eliminated. He also promised that any officers recommended by the family would be included in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the case.
After the meeting, Santosh Deshmukh’s brother Dhananjay spoke with the media. He said that the chief minister had reiterated his commitment made during the assembly session. He assured that no accused would be spared, and criminals would not be forgiven. He further emphasized the need for a fair and impartial investigation and added that anyone, no matter how powerful, involved in the crime would face punishment.
Dhananjay clarified that they had not demanded anyone’s resignation, including that of Minister of State for Social Justice, Dhananjay Munde. He said the decision on Munde’s resignation was up to the chief minister. However, they did seek justice. They requested the authorities to investigate the CDR (Call Detail Records) of all involved parties during the time of the incident, including the last 4 to 5 months. Dhananjay also mentioned that the chief minister assured them that the inquiry report would be shared in two days.
Meanwhile, allegations have surfaced that Walmik Karad, a close associate of Minister Dhananjay Munde, is the mastermind behind Santosh Deshmukh’s murder. A petition demanding his arrest and the imposition of the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) on him, along with a call for Munde’s resignation, was filed in court.
However, Dhananjay Deshmukh accused the lawyer of filing the petition without consulting him. He claimed the lawyer filed the petition independently without informing him.