Minister Dhananjay Munde didn't call us even once, says brother of murdered sarpanch

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jan 22 (PTI) Dhananjay Deshmukh, the brother of murdered sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, on Wednesday said Maharashtra minister Dhanajay Munde, who hails from Beed, has not called the family even once to extend his support.

Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted and tortured to death on December 9. As per the preliminary investigation, he had tried to resist an extortion attempt targeting an energy company operating a windmill project in the area.

A court in Maharashtra's Beed on Wednesday remanded Walmik Karad, minister Munde's close aide who has been arrested in an extortion case related to sarpanch's murder, in 14-day judicial custody.

Talking to reporters after the court ruling, Dhananjay Deshmukh said, "(BJP minister) Pankaja Munde made a video call to us. But the former district guardian minister (Dhananjay Munde) neither called us even once nor did he initiate any step to provide justice to the Deshmukh family." On the dialogue with Pankaja Munde, who is Dhananjay Munde's cousin, he said, "My sister-in-law (sarpanch's wife) clearly told her that she should come to us when we get justice..." When asked whether Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar has contacted the family after being appointed as the Beed district guardian minister, Deshmukh said, "There is no contact from him...The villagers want justice in the case." The Maharashtra police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) told the court in Beed last week that sarpanch Deshmukh was killed because he was thought to be an obstacle in a plan to extort Rs 2 crore from an energy firm, and that Karad was in contact with his killers when the crime was executed. PTI AW NP