Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jun 18 (PTI) Banners carrying photographs of Walmik Karad, the prime accused in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, were recently put up in Beed to greet a local office-bearer of the ruling NCP on his birthday, but were removed by the police following objections.
These banners were put up by party workers to wish Bappasaheb Ghuge, a district office-bearer of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), on his birthday on June 7.
Apart from the photographs of party chief Ajit Pawar, state minister and BJP leader Pankaja Munde, her cousin and former minister Dhananjay Munde, these banners carried the photos of Walmik Karad, arrested for the kidnapping and murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
Karad, who was Dhananjay Munde’s close aide, is currently lodged in Beed prison.
Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9 last year, allegedly for attempting to stop an extortion bid targeting an energy company.
Seven persons, including Karad, have been arrested and booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The others arrested included Sudarshan Ghule, Vishnu Chate, Jairam Chate, Mahesh Kedar, Sudhir Sangale and Prateek Ghule. One Krishna Andhale is a wanted accused in the case.
The slain sarpanch’s brother Dhananjay Deshmukh strongly objected to the photos of Karad on the banners.
Deshmukh said, “We can see the banner of the main accused in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case at various locations. We were wondering whether the leaders, workers or minister felt good after looking at these banners. They had earlier demanded an SIT in the murder case and capital punishment for the accused.” “How did the leaders not see these banners? Had this kind of incident taken place in their family, would they have used the photographs of the accused in the same manner?…We will see what action takes place,” he said.
When asked, an official from the Beed police force said, “The police acted in this case and removed the banners.” PTI AW NP
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