All seven accused arrested for the homicide of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, and one absconding accused, have been charged below the stringent Maharashtra Management of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999. Nonetheless, meals and civil provides minister Dhananjay Munde’s shut aide Walmik Karad has neither been charged below MCOCA, nor for Deshmukh’s homicide.
The arrested accused booked below MCOCA are Sudarshan Ghule, Sudhir Sangle, Jayram Chate, Vishnu Chate, Siddharth Sonawane, Mahesh Kedar and Prateek Ghule. Krishna Andhale, one other accused additionally booked below the act is at giant. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)
Karad has been charged in a case of extortion linked to Deshmukh’s homicide however has not been named within the First Info Report (FIR) registered by the native Kej police for the homicide. This has raised a storm of protest throughout political events as Karad, a neighborhood strongman, is believed to be the mastermind behind the killing.
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MCOCA confers upon the state authorities particular powers of surveillance, relaxed evidentiary requirements and procedural safeguards, and the ability to prescribe further felony penalties.
Deshmukh was kidnapped, tortured and murdered on December 9 final yr for attempting to cease an extortion bid on an power agency helming a windmill challenge within the area. Navneet Kanwat, Beed Superintendent of Police, stated, “All the accused arrested in the murder case have been booked under MCOCA and legal proceedings have been initiated.”
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The arrested accused booked below MCOCA are Sudarshan Ghule, Sudhir Sangle, Jayram Chate, Vishnu Chate, Siddharth Sonawane, Mahesh Kedar and Prateek Ghule. Krishna Andhale, one other accused additionally booked below the act is at giant.
Additionally Learn: Beed sarpanch homicide: Ajit Pawar defends Munde, says present proof to take motion
Dhananjay Deshmukh, brother of the slain sarpanch, has been vocal in his demand for justice. He believes the investigation, being performed by a Particular Investigation Staff (SIT) of the state CID, must be expanded to incorporate the homicide as a part of organised crime and conspiracy.
BJP MLA Suresh Dhas and Congress chief Vijay Wadettiwar have questioned the exclusion of Karad from MCOCA, with Wadettiwar demanding an evidence for the delay in charging the accused below MCOCA. “The accused should have been booked under MCOCA on the first day,” he stated.
Dhas went one step additional. He alleged the NCP minister Dhananjay Munde had himself known as a gathering to debate the extortion bid towards the native power agency at his official residence in Mumbai
However, he identified, the minister has not been made an accused within the case. “The meeting took place on October 19 at ‘Satpura’ bungalow. How come the minister has not been named as an accused? Police officers, can you please explain to me how?” Dhas charged.
Activist Sulakshana Salgar stated, “While Karad surrendered at the CID office, the police did not arrest him, exposing the failure of the home department. Justice has not been served to the Deshmukh family.”
NCP working president Supriya Sule stated, “Karad has been arrested for extortion but not in the Deshmukh murder case. MCOCA was invoked against eight accused and not Karad. This, despite several elected representatives from different parties such as Suresh Dhas (BJP), Sandeep Kshirsagar (NCP-SP), Prakash Solankhe (NCP), Bajrang Sonawane (NCP-SP) and social activist Anjali Damania demanding that Karad be charged under Section 302 of the BNS.”
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis reiterated that nobody could be spared. “We can see the divide among communities. Protests are also going on. Considering all this, the government is trying to restore peace and end the divide. Police will take appropriate action and no one will be spared. I repeat, no one,” he stated.
In a associated growth, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar spoke to Fadnavis over the cellphone, concerning the Beed homicide case. “Pawar also pointed to the divide among communities in Beed and surrounding areas over the murder and urged Fadnavis to intervene to bring the situation under control,” an insider stated. The chief minister is believed to have stated that the matter shall be taken up on a “priority basis”.
In the meantime, one other giant protest was held in Dharashiv, the place elected representatives together with members of the Deshmukh household participated. Leaders who attended the protest additionally demanded that MCOCA be invoked towards Karad.
(Inputs by Faisal Malik)