Sarpanch murder case: Beed police close to Walmik Karad, SIT should be disbanded, says Damania

Mumbai, Jan 6 (PTI) Anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania on Monday said the special investigation team formed to probe the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh should be disbanded.

Massajog sarpanch Deshmukh was abducted and murdered on December 9 for attempting to stop an extortion bid on an energy firm helming a windmill project in the region.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Damania alleged local police had ties with Walmik Karad, a key accused in the extortion case linked to the murder, which compromised their ability to carry out a fair probe.

"No police officer in Beed district can conduct an impartial probe into the Deshmukh murder case because either they have a soft corner for Karad, or they have received their current postings through his blessings. The SIT should be disbanded. I have made this demand with the CM and also asked that officials from other districts be brought in for the probe," Damania said.

The probe should be conducted on camera as people do not trust the CID or other police units, she further said.

She also claimed trucks ferrying fly ash from the Parli thermal plant operate without number plates and a thorough probe must start into this "scam".

When asked about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar not asking his colleague Dhananjay Munde, who has been linked to Karad by the opposition, to resign from the cabinet, Damania said," Pawar, when he was water resources (in an earlier government) some years ago, had resigned after I levelled allegations of corruption against him. He should make Munde quit for the sake of a fair probe." She also slammed NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal for supporting Munde, adding it reflected a broader trend of political figures supporting one another at the expense of justice.

She claimed some people close to Karad and Munde circulated her mobile numbers and morphed images on social media to harass her.

"I have provided details to CM Fadnavis," she said. PTI ND BNM