Mumbai, Jan 4 The Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Saturday arrested two accused who were absconding after killing the Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh from Beed district on December 9.
The accused, Sudarshan Ghule and Sudhir Sangle, will be soon produced before the court.
The police recently detained one person, who was helping the accused. Sources said the same person briefed the CID team about the whereabouts of Ghule and Sangle.
The third accused Krishna Andhale is still at large.
The arrests come days after Walmik Karad, a close associate of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde from Beed who was wanted in an extortion case linked to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, surrendered before CID in Pune on Tuesday.
The case has been registered at Kej Police Station from Beed district against seven persons, including Ghule, Andhale, Sangle, Mahesh Sakharam Kedar, Jayram Manik Chate, Pratik Bhimrao Ghule, Vishnu Mahadev Chate.
Earlier, police arrested Mahesh Kedar, Jayram Chate, Pratik Ghule and Vishnu Chate, who are currently in police custody.
The police also announced a reward for providing information about Ghule, Sangle and Andhale.
The arrest of two absconding accused is crucial as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the government will not spare guilty.
"I have been saying since the first days that strict action will be taken against every accused in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case. No one has the right to commit such violence. The police will take necessary action until all the culprits are hanged," he said.
"We will not allow the rule of goons to continue. No one can commit such violence, no one can demand ransom. Accordingly, we accelerated the investigation and Walmik Karad had to surrender. Now different teams have started working to nab the absconding accused in the murder. We will not spare any accused. All of them will be found," said the chief minister.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on CM Fadnavis from BJP and a section of NCP not to make Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Munde the Beed district Guardian Minister until the CID completes its investigation into the sarpanch's murder.
NCP legislator Prakash Solanke has demanded that Munde should be made a minister without any portfolio until the ongoing probe is over.
In addition, the opposition has demanded Munde's resignation, and that the sarpanch murder case be tried out of Beed.
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