Beed sarpanch murder to be tried in fast-track court: CM

The special investigation team (SIT) of the criminal investigation department (CID), which is probing the case, filed the first charge sheet in the Beed Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on February 27

Mumbai: The case relating to the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, in which an aide of food and civil supplies minister Dhananjay Munde is the main accused, will be tried in a fast-track court, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Saturday.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday attended the closing ceremony of the Maharashtra State Police Sports Tournament in Thane. (Praful Gangurde /HT Photo)

“The police have completed the investigation in a professional manner. By following the provisions of the new crime laws, they have filed the charge sheet with all the evidence collected so far. We will now request the (high) court to run the case in a fast-track court,” Fadnavis said on the sidelines of the 35th Maharashtra State Police Sports Competition 2025 in Thane.

The special investigation team (SIT) of the criminal investigation department (CID), which is probing the case, filed the first charge sheet in the Beed Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on February 27.

“We have already appointed Ujjwal Nikam as special public prosecutor in the case. I am sure the accused will get the strictest punishment,” the chief minister said.

Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted, tortured and killed on December 9 after his attempt to foil an alleged extortion bid on a wind energy company by Munde’s aide Walmik Karad.

While Karad surrendered before the SIT on December 31 last year, the Mahayuti government has faced strong criticism over its refusal to sack the food and civil supplies minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader. NCP chief Ajit Pawar has also backed Munde despite calls to sack him from across the political specturm.

Though Fadnavis said the SIT has made a foolproof case against all the accused, Beed MP and NCP (SP) leader Bajrang Sonwane doubted the claim.

“They could have filed the charge sheet in 180 days under MCOCA, but haste was shown in filing it as one accused Krishna Andhale is still absconding,” said Sonwane. Mobile phones of the accused, which would have helped build a foolproof case, are also yet to be recovered, he noted.