Sarpanch murder BJP MLA fires fresh salvo at Dhananjay Munde from Maratha morcha platform

    Pune, Jan 5 (PTI) A Maratha outfit on Sunday took out a march in Pune to condemn the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh and the death of Somnath Suryawanshi in judicial custody in Parbhani.
    Addressing the mocha, BJP MLA Suresh Dhas alleged that a meeting to discuss an extortion deal in Beed was held between Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde's aide Walmik Karad and officials of a firm at Munde's residence in June.
    Karad was arrested after he surrendered before the CID in the extortion case linked to the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
    The march, organised by the local unit of Akhand Maratha Samaj, started from Lal Mahal at noon and culminated at the District Collector's office.
    Family members of the murdered sarpanch, former CM Prithviraj Chavan, NCP (SP) MP Bajrang Sonawane, BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange, along with leaders from various parties, and office-bearers were present during the march.
    Protestors shouted slogans against Munde.
    "A meeting was held on June 14 between Walmik Karad and officials of a renewable energy company at Dhananjay Munde's residence in Parali (in Beed district). Simultaneously, Munde's PA spoke with some senior officials of the company. Meetings also took place at the official residence of Munde in Mumbai. A deal of Rs 3 crore was finalised in the meeting," Dhas, the MLA from Beed district, alleged.
    He said he had given the evidence (to police).
    "Walmik Karad alias 'aaka' and his PA use 17 mobile phones. The Beed superintendent of police and the CID IG can recover more evidence from these phones," Dhas said.
    Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village, was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9, apparently because he tried to thwart an attempt to extort money from an energy firm operating a windmill project.
    Police have so far arrested seven persons in connection with the murder.
    Suryawanshi, a Dalit, died in judicial custody after he was arrested in connection with violence in Parbhani in December over the desecration of the glass-encased replica of the Constitution.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)