Damania seeks reopening of all criminal cases against Walmik Karad

Mumbai, Mar 11 (PTI) Activist Anjali Damania on Tuesday said she would demand reopening of all criminal cases registered against Walmik Karad, the prime accused in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case.

Talking to reporters, she said Karad faces multiple criminal cases.

"As per my information, there were 16 cases and all of them have been disposed of except two to three cases. Hence, I am going to demand re-opening of all those cases against him," she said.

All the disposed cases should be brought before the judicial committee again, she said.

"I am going to write to the committee and have also asked (deceased sarpanch's brother) Dhananjay Deshmukh to do the same," Damania said.

Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was kidnapped and tortured to death in December last year, allegedly for thwarting attempts to extort money from a windmill company.

NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, who hails from Beed district, resigned as Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister on March 4 after a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chargesheet in the sarpanch murder case named his key aide Walmik Karad as the "mastermind" of the brutal killing.

Police have so far arrested eight persons in connection with the case, while another accused, Krishna Andhale, was still absconding.

Referring to an FIR registered in connection with torching an SUV in Beed in 2007, Damania alleged that Munde's name was mentioned in the FIR along with that of Karad's.

"However, Munde was later acquitted from this case and hence, I will demand re-opening of the cases," she said. PTI KK NP