Accused in sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case declared as absconder

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jan 22 (PTI) The Beed police in Maharashtra on Wednesday declared Krishna Andhale, an accused in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, as an absconder.

“Appropriate reward” will be given for any information leading to his arrest, said a police official.

Elsewhere, deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the culprits in the case — which has led to a political row with the Opposition and even some ruling alliance leaders targeting NCP minister Dhananjay Munde — deserve death sentence.

Police had announced a reward for information about three wanted accused in the case — Sudarshan Ghule, Sudhir Sangle and Andhale — earlier too. Ghule and Sangle were subsequently nabbed.

Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted and tortured to death on December 9. Preliminary investigation indicated that he had tried to resist an extortion attempt targeting an energy company operating a windmill project in the area.

Earlier in the day, a court at Beed remanded Walmik Karad, Dhananjay Munde’s close aide who has been arrested in a case related to Deshmukh’s murder, in 14-day judicial custody.

Karad was produced, through video link, before the special court for Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) cases after the end of his SIT custody. The Special Investigation Team of the state police did not seek his further custody.

Dhananjay Deshmukh, the murder victim’s brother, told the media that no accused in the case should get bail as they had created an “atmosphere of terror”.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, deputy CM and Shiv Sena chief Shinde described Deshmukh’s murder as “very unfortunate”. “Be it Walmik Karad or anyone else, not a single person involved will be spared. For such heinous murders, there is no other punishment than death penalty,” he said.