Deputy Inspector General of Police Basavraj Teli has been appointed as head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that will probe the gruesome murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district.
Teli will lead a team of nine officers that will examine all possible angles of the murder, which has caused huge uproar in Maharashtra. Deshmukh was murdered on December 9 when he was kidnapped by a group of men who intercepted his vehicle in two black Scorpios.
VIDEO | Maharashtra’s Beed Sarpanch Murder Case: “... Walmik Karad has surrendered. Police couldn’t catch him. This is the truth. Maharashtra’s good officers should be appointed in SIT, which has been formed to investigate the case,” says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve.… pic.twitter.com/JzKsZRg1T6
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It is alleged that the men involved in the killing of Deshmukh are close to Valmik Karad, a notorious strongman from Beed and a very close associate of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde. Munde belongs to Ajit Pawar led NCP. Karad who was referred to as ''Aaka (the main controller)'' of the people involved in the killing by BJP legislator Suresh Dhas, also from Beed district.
Valmik Karad surrendered to state CID in Pune a couple of days ago but he has not been charged in the case of murder of Deshmukh. He has been charged with sections related to extortion of money from a wind energy company.
Dhas has been alleging that it is Karad who is the mastermind behind the murder. He also hinted that Munde had been protecting Karad all along and hence he also should be probed. Pawar, head of the NCP that is part of the government, has not said a word about the controversy so far.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday alleged police could carry out an encounter of Karad in order to protect his higher bosses. Wadettiwar did not name anyone but he clearly had his radar fixed on Munde.
The demand for Munde's resignation has been growing. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare on Thursday demanded that Munde should come clean and resign on his own and cooperate with the probe team. Activist Anjali Damania has been camping in Beed to campaign against Karad and Munde.
