Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jan 9: Maharashtra BJP MLA Suresh Dhas on Thursday claimed that Walmik Karad, arrested in an extortion case linked to sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh’s murder, has assets of more than Rs 100 crore and got a notice from the ED in 2022.
Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted, tortured, and murdered on December 9, allegedly in retaliation for his efforts to prevent extortion attempts against an energy firm linked to a windmill project.
As part of the investigation, police have so far arrested seven persons connected to the case. One of the accused is still absconding.
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Walmik Karad, an associate of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, has been arrested in a related extortion case.
The murder has acquired a caste conflict angle as Deshmukh was a Maratha, while most of the accused are Vanjaris, a dominant OBC community in the Beed region.
Some leaders from the opposition and ruling parties, including Dhas, have demanded the resignation of Dhananjay Munde, who belongs to the Vanjari community, alleging links between his associate Karad and the murder case.
Addressing a protest meet at Paithan in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Thursday, Dhas also targeted the Beed police over the probe into the murder case.
“Actors from TV shows like ‘Savdhan India’ and ‘CID’ should be deployed in Parli (located in Beed), but the real policemen should not be deployed there, and I am going to put forth this demand in writing to the chief minister,” he said sarcastically.
Dhas claimed that Karad has amassed huge wealth.
“Chota aaka (referring to Karad) received a notice from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2022 because he has accumulated enormous wealth. He has booked seven shops in Pune for Rs 5 crore each,” he further claimed.
Karad’s driver has a flat valued at Rs 15 crore. “His (Karad’s) overall wealth is above Rs 100 crore”, so he could be under the purview of ED’s probe, Dhas charged.
The BJP leader further said that Karad has kept people (contacts) in Maval area to update him about anything (property) available for sale there.
“Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh was killed brutally. We want to see the faces of these accused when they will be hanged to death,” Dhas said.
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange also addressed the gathering of protesters and said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has promised to punish the culprits in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case and the death of Somnath Suryavanshi (in judicial custody after violence in Parbhani last month).
“If this doesn’t happen, then the government will have to face us,” Jarange cautioned.
Targeting Munde, the activist claimed, “He is a minister and tells his goons to agitate to help the accused.”
“But casteism is not in our blood. We will not spare any leader. Munde is taking support of the OBC community now. Dhananjay Munde should stop his gang of beneficiaries (to target Jarange). I will talk about Dhananjay Munde after January 25,” Jarange said. (PTI)
