The assailants of Santosh Deshmukh, a sarpanch (village head) in Maharashtra’s Beed district, recorded 15 videos, clicked eight photos, and made two video calls as they abducted, tortured, killed, and dumped his body on a roadside in December. According to the charge sheet submitted in the case last week, Deshmukh was abducted for allegedly attempting to foil an extortion bid on an energy company.
As per the media report, the assailants of Maharashtra’s Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh recorded videos, clicked photos, and made video calls as they abducted, tortured, and killed him in December. The charge sheet states he was targeted for opposing an extortion bid on an energy company. Following the arrest of his aide Walmiki Karad, NCP leader Dhananjay Munde resigned as minister amid mounting pressure.
Videos and pictures of Santosh Deshmukh’s torture and murder went viral on social media, sparking outrage. One video shows five accused beating him with a pipe and stick while kicking and punching him. Another clip shows him half-clad, forced to sit and chant, “Sudarshan Ghule is the father of all.”
The charge sheet states that one accused urinated on Santosh Deshmukh as he bled profusely. Fugitive accused Krishna Andhale made two WhatsApp video calls during the torture, but the recipient remains unidentified. Police recovered 15 broken pipe pieces used in the assault. Investigators found that accused Sudarshan Ghule led a crime syndicate in Beed, with his gang facing 11 cases and operating in Kej, Ambajogai, Dharur, and Kalamb.
Munde initially sought to explain his stance in the state assembly before resigning, but CM Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar rejected his request after the charge sheet exposed the murder’s brutality and the visuals went viral.
Karad, who managed Munde’s election campaign, is among the seven arrested in the case. BJP leader Pankaja Munde stated that Dhananjay Munde cannot function without him.
The videos and photos recorded by Deshmukh’s assailants are part of the charge sheet seen by *HT*. Their circulation sparked outrage and led to a bandh in Beed on Tuesday. NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) lawmaker Sandeep Kshirsagar said tensions rose as the visuals went viral, adding, “It is good Munde has resigned.”
Beed Police stated that the visuals are part of the judicial process and urged people not to take the law into their own hands.
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