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Political parties and activists asked if the surrender had been staged by the state government, since the CID had been pursuing key accused Valmik Karad for the past 20 to 25 days
Walmik Karad, a close aide of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, as he surrenders before the CID. in Pune on December 31. (Image: PTI)
Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde’s close aide Walmik Karad, wanted in an extortion case linked to the murder of a sarpanch in Beed district, surrendered before the police in Pune on Tuesday. The accused, who is alleged to be a major conspirator in the case, managed to evade arrest for more than three weeks.
Police had earlier arrested four persons in the murder case of Masajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, while Karad and two others had been on the run. While his surrender marks a significant development, it has raised questions against the Maharashtra police. Political parties and activists asked if this had been staged by the state government, since the CID had been pursuing him for the past 20 to 25 days.
Before his surrender, however, he released a video denying the charges against him and claimed that there was a political conspiracy behind this case. “A false extortion case has been filed against me at Kej police station. Despite having anticipatory bail, I am surrendering before the CID to cooperate with the investigation. The real culprits behind Santosh Deshmukh’s murder must be arrested and given the death penalty. If I am found guilty after proper investigation, I am ready to face any punishment,” he said in the video.
The murder case has sent shockwaves through Beed and triggered widespread protests. Deshmukh was abducted and brutally killed on December 9. His post-mortem report showed that he had suffered 56 injuries to his body, confirming that he died due to severe assault.
The incident unfolded on December 6 during a heated argument at a wind energy project in Masajog. Several people entered the project premises, assaulted an official, and the video of the incident went viral. Three days later, he was abducted and killed.
Following the murder, the brother of the sarpanch filed a complaint naming six suspects including Karad. Protests soon erupted after the murder, as villagers blocked the Ahmednagar-Ahmedpur highway for 12 hours demanding immediate arrests. Social activist Manoj Jarange-Patil had to intervene, which led to an end to the agitation while Deshmukh’s final rites were performed after a delay of 24 hours.
As the investigation progressed, the case took a political turn. Opposition leaders, including Sandeep Kshirsagar from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP accused Karad of being involved in the murder. Ruling party leaders, like BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, visited the Deshmukh family and assured them of justice. The case resonated in the state assembly, with MLAs raising concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in Beed.
The murder case also prompted administrative changes. Kej police station inspector Prashant Mahajan was sent on forced leave, while Beed superintendent of police Avinash Bargal was transferred. This was followed by the CID taking over the probe.
So far, the CID has questioned over 150 people, including Karad’s wife and several political figures. The investigation also covers an extortion case against the accused over an alleged demand of Rs 2 crore.
The investigation is far from over and the CID is now focused on arresting the remaining suspects. Protests have continued in Beed, with village residents and political leaders demanding swift action and justice for the Deshmukh family.
But, there is doubt over Karad’s surrender. “Walmik Karad evading police teams and surrendering in front of Pune CID raises many questions, as yesterday (December 30, Monday) CM Devendra Fadnavis and Munde had a meeting in Mumbai and today he decided to surrender. What were the CID teams doing for the past 20 to 25 days? Was this surrender episode staged?” asked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLA Bhaskar Jadhav.
“Karad surrendering before the police could find and arrest him poses many questions. When he was on the run, he had police protection. Why didn’t the police order the two guards to nab him then and there? The way he was allowed to surrender raises many questions over the working style of the police and state government. On the floor of the house, during the winter session of the assembly, there were many announcements so what took them so long to take prompt action?” asked activist Anjali Damania.
