Accused shot videos, clicked pics while torturing sarpanch Deshmukh: Police

Mumbai: As sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh was tortured and killed in December 2024, the assailants recorded 15 videos, clicked eight photos and even made two video calls, police have said in a chargesheet, documenting the brutality endured by the victim.

The videos and the photos are part of the chargesheet submitted by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) before a court in central Maharashtra's Beed district last week.

Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted and killed in December for attempting to foil an extortion bid on an energy company. His body, riddled with injuries and bearing signs of extreme brutality, was found dumped on the roadside.

Seven men, including Walmik Karad, who is a close aide of state minister Dhananjay Munde, have been arrested so far, while one person has been declared wanted accused.

The videos were shot on a smartphone of one of the accused, Mahesh Kedar, and their duration ranges between 2 seconds and 2.04 minutes, an official said, citing the chargesheet.

The Massajog village head was abducted by six men on December 9 at Dongaon toll plaza and taken in an SUV towards Kej taluka with a silver Swift car following it, he said.

Deshmukh was found unconscious at Daithna Shivar towards Nandur Ghat Road the same evening. He was rushed to a hospital by the Beed police's search team, where he was declared dead on arrival.

As per the official, Deshmukh was beaten up by the accused from 3.30 pm to 6 pm by using a gas pipe of 41-inch length with a handle with black string, white pipe, an iron rod with five clutch wires, wooden sticks, a "fighter and dharkatti" (both sharp weapons).

In one of the videos, five accused persons, including Sudarshan Ghule, are seen thrashing Deshmukh with a white pipe and a wooden stick besides kicking and punching him.

The video shows Deshmukh in a half naked condition and forced to sit on the ground.

In another video, accused Sudarshan Ghule is seen forcing Deshmukh to chant "Sudarshan Ghule is the father of all". Another accused urinates on the sarpanch who is seen bleeding profusely, according to the chargesheet.

As Deshmukh was tortured, wanted accused Krishna Andhale made two WhatsApp video calls from his mobile phone, first at 5.14 pm and the second one at 5.26 pm, the chargesheet said without identifying the person to whom the calls were made.

Police have recovered 15 broken pieces of a white pipe from the spot, which was hard and blunt, the official said.

During the investigation, the CID found that accused Sudarshan Ghule runs a crime syndicate in Beed district. His gang faces 11 serious cases and is active in Kej, Ambajogai, Dharur areas of Beed district, and Kalamb in adjoining Dharashiv district, he said.

Accused Ghule, Karad and Vishnu Chate were in touch with each other before and after the killing of Deshmukh, the official said.

On May 28, 2024, Ghule had kidnapped Sunil Shinde, project officer with an energy firm, for extortion. The victim later lodged a complaint against Ghule at Kej police station, according to the official.