Sarpanch murder case: Walmik Karad's mother protests outside police station in Beed, seeks his release

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Parubai Karad, extortion case accused Walmik Karad's mother, staged a protest outside a police station in Maharashtra's Beed district on Tuesday, claiming her son was innocent, and demanded his release.

Karad, an associate of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, was arrested on December 31, 2024, in an extortion case linked to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district.

Parubai Karad staged a protest outside the Parli police station in Beed and demanded his release. Around 50 supporters of Walmik Karad were also present outside the police station.

"My son has not done anything and he should be released. Even if my life ends, I will not get up from here," she told reporters.

Asked about the offences registered against her son, she said, "I don't know who is doing this, but this is all fake." Parubai Karad also alleged that BJP MLA Suresh Dhas and NCP (SP) MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar were implicating her son in a false case and demanded that they be arrested.

The Parli police station in-charge did not respond to calls for comments.

Santosh Deshmukh was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9, 2024. Preliminary investigation suggests he had tried to thwart an extortion bid on an energy firm operating a windmill project in the region.

The Kej police have so far arrested seven persons in the murder case, while another accused is on the run. Karad has been arrested in a related extortion case.

The slain sarpanch's family has demanded that Karad be booked for murder.