Extra cots meant for cops, not Karad: Fadnavis slams opposition

Mumbai, Jan 2 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday slammed the opposition for questioning the motive over ordering extra cots at Beed police station, where Walmik Karad, accused in an extortion case linked to the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh is lodged.

“The cots were meant for the additional police personnel deployed there,” Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai. “Should they (police) sleep on the floor,” he said, when asked about an opposition leader’s claim that the cots were brought to provide comfort to Karad, a close aide of state NCP minister Dhananjay Munde.

Karad was brought to the Kej court in Beed district after he surrendered before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Pune on Tuesday.

The court remanded Karad to 14 days police custody in connection with an alleged extortion case of Rs 2 crore, linked to Deshmukh’s murder on December 9 last year.

The police administration has clarified that the cots were for the police on duty.

NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar said, “How come the cots were suddenly ordered? If new cots have been ordered for the staff, the same level of promptness should be shown for the staff in all police stations across the state. Consideration should be given to whether mattresses, pillows, fans, and ACs can also be installed.”

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar wondered if the cots were ordered at the Beed police station under a ‘Laadli Aaropi Yojana’ (beloved accused scheme).

The state government on Wednesday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IPS officer Basavaraj Teli to investigate the brutal killing of Massajog sarpanch Deshmukh. Teli heads the Economic Offences Wing of the CID.