Amid row over BJP MLA's remarks on actor Prajakta Mali, Maharashtra BJP chief advises restraint

Mali lodged a complaint with the commission alleging that BJP leader Suresh Dhas' inappropriate and defamatory remarks impacted her personal and social life.

Mumbai: Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday asked party leaders to refrain from making remarks that could impede the investigation into the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.

Bawankule's appeal comes amid a controversy triggered by BJP MLA Suresh Dhas' remarks on Marathi actor Prajakta Mali, leading to the State Commission for Women directing police to submit a report.

The state BJP chief, who holds the Revenue portfolio, appealed to BJP workers to trust Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' leadership.

"I appealed to the public representatives of my party as well as to others to refrain from making any comments that would create a hurdle in the ongoing investigation (in the sarpanch murder case). Not a single accused person will remain free; you will see all of them in jail," the BJP leader told reporters.

He said the accused in the murder case would face the appropriate legal punishment.

Responding to Bawankule's appeal, Dhas, the BJP MLA from Beed district, said, "Bawankule is my leader. I will not create any hurdle in the ongoing investigation".

Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village, was abducted, tortured and murdered in Beed on December 9 allegedly for attempting to thwart an extortion bid on an energy firm.

Earlier in the day, the Maharashtra State Commission for Women directed Mumbai Police to take swift action and submit a factual report on Prajakta Mali's complaint that Suresh Dhas had made inappropriate remarks about her.

Mali lodged a complaint with the commission alleging that Dhas' inappropriate and defamatory remarks impacted her personal and social life. She also alleged that defamatory content was circulated on social media following these remarks.

On Saturday, Mali demanded an apology from Dhas for dragging her name in his attempt to target NCP minister Dhananjay Munde in the Deshmukh murder case.

While four persons have been arrested so far, a political tussle is underway over Walmik Karad, an accused in the extortion case linked to the murder who is reportedly a close aide of Parli MLA Dhananjay Munde.

Fadnavis, who heads the Home Ministry, had instructed the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to confiscate the properties of the murder case accused.

He had also directed the cancellation of arms licences of individuals seen in social media footage firing weapons in public.