Beed sarpanch murder: Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde resigns

He was earlier the guardian minister of Beed.

Mumbai: Under fire of the opposition, NCP’s Dhananjay Munde tendered his resignation on Tuesday as a fallout of the Santosh Deshmukh murder case, in which his close aide Walmik Karad has been named as a mastermind.

Munde was the state’s Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister.

This is the biggest setback in the career of the 49-year-old Munde, a senior NCP leader who hails from the OBC community.

“Today, Dhananjay Munde has resigned. I have accepted the resignation…I have forwarded it to the Governor for necessary action,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

“Dhananjay Munde has resigned,” said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the NCP President.

The opposition, however, is unsatisfied and is demanding that Munde be made a co-accused in the case.

The resignation took place hours after photos and videos of the sensational murder went viral on social media platforms.

Deshmukh (45), a three-time Sarpanch, was abducted, tortured and murdered on 9 December, 2024

The State-CID has filed 1,200 pages in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case and two related cases in a court in Beed district.

Three separate cases—murder of sarpanch, Rs two crore extortion bid from windmill company Avaada Group, and assault on a security guard of the firm—were registered at the Kej police station in Beed, the investigations of which were taken over by State-CID, which has formed a SIT to probe the same.

The police have invoked Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Karad and other accused.

On Monday evening, Munde had met Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio.

Later, Fadnavis met Pawar, NCP Working President Praful Patil, and state NCP President Sunil Tatkare.

Fadnavis asked Munde to put in his papers.

On Thursday morning, Munde’s PA and OSD went to the CM residence and submitted the papers.

Earlier in the day, Santosh Deshmukh’s brother Dhananjay Deshmukh broke down as he saw the photos and videos of the murder. “Even if the Cabinet resigns, my brother would not come back…we have been seeking justice for the past three months but nothing seems to be happening,” said Dhananjay Deshmukh, the brother of Santosh Deshmukh.

Maratha leader Manoj Jarange-Patil, who was unwell and in hospital, rushed to Massajog and consoled the family.

“This is an inhuman act…rakshasi tendency ... .they should not be spared,” said Jarange-Patil as he broke down. “It is painful,” he said, adding that the presence of Munde in the Cabinet has become untenable.

BJP legislator Suresh Dhas demanded that Munde should immediately be thrown out of the government. “I have been demanding this for three months,” Dhas said and also asked Munde’s cousin and state Environment Minister Pankaja Munde, who is of the BJP, to speak up on this issue. “This is a serious issue…horrible,” he said and pleaded with CM Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar to send Munde home.

“I am sure Deva Bhau will give justice,” he said.