Earlier, Walmik Karad, a close aide of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, had surrendered before the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in a case linked to the murder of a sarpanch in Beed district of Maharashtra, in Pune on Dec. 31, 2024.
Massajog sarpanch Deshmukh was murdered on December 9 after he tried to stop an extortion bid on an energy firm operating a windmill project in Beed.
Sudarshan Chandrabhan Ghule (26), Sudhir Sangle (23) and Siddharth Sonawane were remanded in CID custody till January 18.
The Special Investigation Team of the state CID arrested Ghule and Sangle from Pune, while Sonawane was held from Kalyan in Thane district.
The police told court the three are engaged in organised crime and had allegedly indulged in threatening firms that come to the region to set up projects.
As per police, Sonawane provided the location details of Deshmukh to Ghule and others.
Those arrested in connection with the murder of Deshmukh are Sudarshan Ghule, Sudhir Sangle, Pratik Ghule, Vishnu Chate and Mahesh Kedar and Siddharth Sonawane, while Krushna Andhale is on the run.
Those named as accused in the extortion case linked to Deshmukh's murder are Vishnu Chate, Sudarshan Ghule and Walmik Karad. All three have been arrested.