Beed sarpanch murder: Karad sought to eliminate those who hindered his extortion bid, say police

Walmik Karad had allegedly asked his co-accused in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case to get rid of whoever came in the way of his bid to extort money from a wind energy company, an official said on Sunday.

The official was quoting a report attached to a chargesheet filed in the Deshmukh murder case and two related cases in which Karad, a close aide of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, has been mentioned as primary accused.

Deshmukh was threatened several times before he was abducted and killed in December 2024, the official said, citing the report. Karad was arrested on 31 December 2024 in the extortion case related to the murder of Deshmukh, the sarpanch (headman) of Massajog village in Beed district.

The state Crime Investigation Department (CID) on 27 February filed a more than 1,200-page chargesheet at a court in Beed district in the case of Deshmukh's murder and two related cases after questioning more than 180 persons.

Deshmukh was abducted, tortured and murdered on 9 December last year, allegedly for attempting to stop an extortion bid targeting an energy company in Beed.

Three separate cases — murder of sarpanch, bid to extort money from Avaada company and assault on security guard of the firm — have been registered at Kej police station in Beed. The police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused in the cases.

On 7 December 2024, Karad allegedly told another accused Sudarshan Ghule that those who come in the way of their extortion bid should be eliminated, the official said, citing the report attached to the chargesheet.

Karad along with others, demanded Rs 2 crore from the Avaada company, which is investing around Rs 300 crore in a power generation project in Beed, the report said.

According to the report, accused Karad, Vishnu Chate, Sudarshan Ghule, Pratik Ghule, Sudhir Sangle, Krushna Andhale, Jayram Chate and Mahesh Kedar decided to extort Rs 2 crore from the Avaada company between 8 and 9 December 2024.

They allegedly wanted to spread their "terror" in the entire area and also decided to eliminate or kill anyone who came in their way, the official said quoting the report.

Earlier, on 29 November 2024, Karad spoke to Avaada company officials for the extortion of Rs 2 crore, over a phone belonging to Vishnu Chate. On the same day, Sudarshan Ghule reached the company site in Massajog village and asked its officials to fulfil Karad's demand.

Karad met Vishnu Chate, Sudarshan Ghule, Pratik Ghule, Sudhir Sangle and Krushna Andhale at Chate's office in Kej the same day to decide the way ahead over the extortion issue, the report says.

Later, on 6 December 2024, accused Sudarhshan Ghule, Pratik Ghule and Sudhir Sangle went to the company site in Massajog village, quarrelled with its officials, and asked them to stop work. Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh came to the spot and requested the accused to "let people get employment, don't shut the company's work", the report said.

Sudarshan Ghule allegedly threatened him saying, "We will take care of you, we will not spare you", the official said, quoting the report.

Avaada company official Shivaji Thopte met Karad at his office in Parli in the presence of Vishnu Chate on 8 December, as per the report. Karad then asked Thopte for Rs 2 crore, or else the company would have to stop work in Beed district, it said.

After this incident, Vishnu Chate kept calling Deshmukh and threatened him repeatedly, the report said.

On 7 December, Karad allegedly told accused Sudarshan Ghule, "If such hurdles come in our way, then no company will pay us extortion money. Whosoever comes in our way should be eliminated. Get going and talk to Vishnu Chate, he will help you", it said.

After the murder, Vishnu Chate destroyed his mobile phone, which was an important piece of evidence in this case, the report said. The report also mentioned that Sudarhshan Ghule and the other accused were involved in organised crimes.

Eleven cases are registered against the accused involved in the Deshmukh murder case, and chargesheets have been filed against eight of them, the report said.