Beed sarpanch murder: Minister Dhananjay Munde's aide Walmik Karad surrenders

NEW DELHI: Walmik Karad, a close aide of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, surrendered to the police in Pune on Tuesday in connection with an extortion case linked to the murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district.

Karad arrived with associates at the Crime Investigation Department (CID) office in Pune's Pashan area, where he turned himself in.

In his video, Karad claimed, "I am surrendering before CID in a fake case filed against me in Beed district. The real culprits in Deshmukh's murder should be punished severely. My name is being dragged into this case for political reasons."



Before his surrender, Karad posted a video on social media, stating that he was being falsely implicated in the case due to political vendetta.

According to police, Deshmukh was abducted and murdered on December 9 for opposing an extortion attempt by individuals who had demanded money from a windmill company in the region.

Four people had already been arrested in the case.

On Saturday, thousands gathered for a silent protest in Beed city, demanding Karad's arrest in the murder case. Opposition parties and BJP MLA have alleged that Karad has close ties to NCP minister Dhananjay Munde and called for his resignation to ensure an impartial investigation.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also handles the Home portfolio, has ordered a judicial inquiry into the sarpanch's murder.

(With inputs from agencies)

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