Beed sarpanch murder: Extortion-accused Walmik Karad's mother stages sit-in protest for his release, supporters climb tower

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Extortion case accused Walmik Karad's mother on Tuesday staged a sit-in protest outside a police station in Maharashtra's Beed district seeking his release, while some of his supporters climbed a stone tower to press the demand.

Parubai Karad, Walmik's mother, arrived outside the Parli city police station in the morning and said she would not leave until her demands were met.

Karad has gotten 14-day judicial custody and has been charged under MCOCA.

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

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

Asked about the serious offences registered against her son, she said, "I don't know who is doing this, but this is all fake." She also alleged that the BJP's Suresh Dhas and NCP (SP)'s Sandeep Kshirsagar, both MLAs from Beed district, were behind the framing of her son, and they should be arrested.

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

While Parubai sat outside the police station, some of Walmik's supporters climbed a decorative stone tower at Rani Laxmibai Chowk in Parli city, shouting slogans demanding his release and action against Kshirsagar and Dhas.

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

The Kej police has so far arrested seven persons in the murder case, while another accused is on the run. Walmik Karad was booked in the extortion case, but the slain sarpanch's family has demanded that he be made an accused in the murder case too.