Maharashtra court sends Beed sarpanch murder suspect to 15-day custody

A court in Maharashtra has sent Walmik Karad, an accused in an extortion case linked to the murder of a sarpanch, to custody for 15 days.

Karad, an accused in the extortion case linked to the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district, surrendered before the police in Pune.

He was then brought to a government hospital in Kej from where he was taken to a police station, an official said.

Opposition NCP (SP) has dubbed the surrender as an orchestrated move and mockery of the state police.

Assistant government pleader JB Shinde told reporters that the court had sent Karad to 15 days' custody.

The custody was granted to investigate the case and collect Karad's voice sample.

Karad's advocate said, "If we see the FIR, the sections that are imposed are inapplicable. If we see the background, the court has not heard our say but may be on day 14, when the custody ends, it may be considered."

"I have seen many cases of extortion but never seen such a case where court grants custody of 15 days. If anyone else apart from Walmik Karad would have been there, probably the accused have got bail," the advocated added.

Karad, with his associates, arrived at the Crime Investigation Department's (CID) office in Pune in a car on Tuesday morning.

A preliminary inquiry was conducted and he was handed over to the Beed CID team, which is investigating the murder and extortion cases, Inspector General of Police Sarang Awad said.

He was later taken to a court at Kej in Beed district. The court, in a late night sitting, remanded him in 14-day police custody as sought by the CID.

Before turning himself in, Karad posted a video on social media, claiming he was being linked to the murder for reasons of political vendetta.

Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Kej tehsil of Beed district, was abducted last month and brutally killed on December 9, allegedly for opposing an extortion bid by some persons who had demanded money from a windmill company.

Four persons were earlier arrested in the murder case, while Karad was named as a wanted accused in the extortion case.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, facing heat over the law-and-order situation, on Tuesday said no "goonda-raj" will be tolerated in the state, but the opposition questioned the police's failure to nab Karad for about three weeks.

During the recently held winter session of the Maharashtra legislature, the opposition alleged that Karad was the "mastermind" of the murder.

The Fadnavis-led coalition government, sworn in on 5 December, finds itself in a tricky situation because of Karad's links with Dhananjay Munde, who hails from Beed, and also because of the caste angle.

While the victim was a Maratha, the accused are from the OBC Vanjari community.

Fadnavis, who holds the Home department, on Tuesday (31 December) said he spoke with Deshmukh's brother over phone, and assured him that justice will be done.

"Until the guilty are hanged to death, the police will continue to do their duty. All individuals involved in the Beed case will face prosecution. We will not tolerate 'goonda raj' (rule of criminals)....Nobody will be spared," he told reporters.

Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe questioned the police's failure to track down Karad, and said Fadnavis had no moral grounds to remain chief minister.

A sitting judge should oversee the investigation in the Deshmukh murder case, the Congress leader demanded.

NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad said Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde should be sacked, asking how a suspect linked with him could be questioned while Munde remains in the cabinet.

NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said Karad posting a viral video and the police still remaining clueless about his whereabouts was shocking.

Beed BJP MLA Suresh Dhas congratulated CM Fadnavis over Karad's surrender, but targeted Munde.

Karad and Dhananjay Munde were "two sides of the same coin," he claimed, adding that Munde's resignation has been sought by his own party leaders.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange indicated that the Maratha community, to which Deshmukh belonged, would launch an agitation if the government failed to take action against supporters of the accused, whether they be ministers, MLAs or MPs.

Former Rajya Sabha member Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati demanded that Karad be booked for the sarpanch's murder and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) be invoked against him.

It is difficult to secure bail under the MCOCA.

(With agency inputs)