‘Gang’ of Dhananjay Munde devastated sarpanch Deshmukh’s family: Jarange

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Thursday alleged that the “gang” of Dhananjay Munde has devastated the family of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh who was murdered last month.

Jarange claimed that all this gang cares about is making money from politics and playing politics with money, referring to Walmik Karad, an associate of NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde.

Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village, was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9 for attempting to stop an extortion bid on an energy firm helming a windmill project in Beed district. Police said Karad was in contact with his killers when the crime was executed.

The slain sarpanch’s brother Dhananjay Deshmukh met Jarange in Beed on Thursday, a day after Karad was sent to the custody of a Special Investigation Team of Maharashtra police.

“The gang of Dhananjay Munde has devastated the family of Santosh Deshmukh. This gang will be under a curse for this crime,” Jarange said.

Minister Munde has been facing calls for his resignation from the opposition, a demand supported by ruling BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, due to his links with Karad.

“The gang of Munde doesn’t understand humanity. It only cares about making money from politics and playing politics with money. Some gangs are also protesting demanding the release of the accused (Karad). The acts of such gangs are tainting the state’s image,” Jarange said.

The sarpanch murder has acquired a caste conflict angle as Deshmukh was a Maratha, while most of the accused are Vanjari, a dominant community in the Beed region.

Santosh Deshmukh's brother Dhananjay Deshmukh said that since Jarange wasn’t well, he had come to meet the Maratha activist. “We just want the inquiry to be done properly and justice served,” he said. PTI AW NR