The Maharashtra government will form a special investigation team to probe the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, Sarpanch (village head) of Massajog village in Beed district.
The opposition led by MVA had demanded an inquiry headed by a sitting judge of the High Court. However, Chief Minister Fadnavis announced a judicial inquiry headed by a retired judge of the High Court and formation of SIT headed by an Inspector General of Police.
Santosh Deshmukh’s abduction and murder by torture took place on December 9. Massajog villagers told the visiting Opposition leaders that he was killed by Valmik Karad’s men. Karad is a strongman from Vanjari community and is close to Dhananjay Munde, an NCP minister. Opposition had claimed that Chief Minister Fadnavis was shielding his cabinet colleague Dhananjay Munde
Beed is often described as a battleground between Vanjaris (OBC) and and Marathas. Both communities have a strong presence in the district. Since the Maratha reservation agitation by Manoj Jarange Patil in Beed’s neighbouring Jalna district, the two communities were at loggerheads in Beed.
Police have arrested Vishnu Chate, an aide of Karad, in connection with Deshmukh killing. On the day of murder, Deshmukh and his cousin were travelling by his vehicle when a black Scorpio intercepted them. The men in Scorpio abducted Deshmukh and took him in their car. Deshmukh's cousin was constantly calling Chate and requesting him to release him. Chate reportedly told the cousin that Deshmukh would be released in some time but that didn’t happen. Instead he was tortured and killed.
Fadnavis told state legislative assembly that the dispute had started over extorting money from Avaada Group, a green energy company that had installed wind mills near Massajog. The company security person and manager had been threatened in order to extort money or give work orders to selected persons who were politically connected.
The opposition wants Karad to be immediately arrested. If this happens, then Dhananjay Munde will be in an awkward situation. But Fadnavis has assured the legislature that an inquiry will be conducted thoroughly and the guilty will not be spared.