Sarpanch murder case: Police kept Nanded ‘doctor’ under watch to trace two accused in Pune

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jan 4 (PTI) A “doctor” picked up from Nanded district proved to be a crucial link that led police to two accused in Pune wanted in the Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, an official said on Saturday.

A Beed Police team arrested Sudarshan Chandrabhan Ghule (26) and Sudhir Sangle (23) from Pune, four weeks after Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh was abducted and murdered. The exact motive behind the crime is being investigated.

“Police monitored movements of Dr Sambhaji Vaybhase after his alleged links with Sudarshan Ghule surfaced during the investigation,” sources in Beed Police said.

Vaybhase was picked up from Nanded for questioning which led police to the accused Ghule and Sangle, a police official said on the condition of anonymity.

After questioning, police handed over Vaybhase to the CID which is investigating the murder case, he said refusing to elaborate.

Police suspect that Vaybhase helped Ghule flee after the murder.

“We cannot reveal since when we were monitoring Vaybhase,” the official added.

Police have so far arrested six out of seven persons named in the murder case.

Deshmukh was abducted, tortured and killed on December 9 prima facie for attempting to stop an extortion bid on an energy firm operating a windmill project in Beed district.

Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde’s close aide Walmik Karad has been arrested in the extortion case in connection with the murder.