Sarpanch murder: 'Ajit Pawar will soon know if...'

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will come to know 'in a few days' if his Nationalist Congress Party and cabinet colleague Dhananjay Munde has any link to the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, claimed Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Suresh Dhas on Friday.

Massajog sarpanch Deshmukh was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9 for trying to stop an extortion bid on an energy firm helming a windmill project in the region. A murder case and an extortion case linked to the killing are being probed by a special investigation team of the state CID.

Munde, MLA from Parli in Beed, is under attack from opposition parties and even some leaders of the ruling Mahayuti as Walmik Karad, the key accused in the extortion case linked to the sarpanch's murder, is his close aide.

Speaking to a regional news channel, Dhas said, "Ajit Pawar will come to know after a few days if there is a connection (of Munde with the murder case) or not. I have never claimed there is a connection. I don't say anything firmly (with firm conviction) on it and they (Munde's backers) must also not say anything firmly as of now."

Dhas was answering a query on Pawar backing Munde on the issue.

Speaking to reporters in Pune on Thursday, Pawar had said, "He (Munde) has asserted he is not even remotely linked to the case. He also said that any agency can probe the case. People levelling allegations must hand over evidence they have to probe agencies."

Some leaders from the ruling alliance and the opposition are making allegations in connection with the case, but they must take precaution to ensure injustice is not done to anyone, the deputy CM had added.

Dhas further alleged 109 "unidentified" dead bodies were found in Parli in a year, of which only four could be identified, while the remaining 105 were cremated.

The BJP MLA from Ashti also claimed Walmik Karad's name will soon be added in the sarpanch murder case.

The Maratha and Vanjari communities must not fight over this incident as it would 'not bring Santosh Deshmukh back', the MLA added.

The murder has also got embroiled in a caste tussle since Deshmukh was a Maratha and several of the accused are from the Vanjari community.