Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday (January 5) wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over Beed sarpanch murder and asked him to review security arrangements for public representatives and providing them adequate police protection.
Pawar expressed concern about some of the killers of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch, being still at large. Deshmukh was murdered on December 9.
The murder has elicited strong reaction across the state and there are allegations that this was political murder. Recently, an ‘Akrosh Morcha’ was organised in Beed during which public representatives demanded that the ‘mastermind’ of the murder be arrested.
Pawar did not take anyone’s name but said that names of the ‘mastermind’ and the person responsible for the murder are being taken in various media including social media .
Santosh Deshmukh, who was sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, was abducted and murdered after torture, apparently because he resisted attempts to extort money from an energy company that was operating a windmill project.
Seven persons have so far been arrested in the murder case by the police.
Walmik Karad, who is an associate of NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Dhananjay Munde has also been arrested.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Investigation Department (CID) has been constituted and is carrying out probe into the matter.