Slain sarpanch's brother withdraws plea seeking minister Munde's ouster

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A petition filed by murdered sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh’s brother in the Bombay High Court, seeking a direction to the Maharashtra government to remove NCP minister Dhananjay Munde from the cabinet, has been withdrawn.

The petitioner, Dhananjay Deshmukh, had claimed minister Munde was associated with the head of a criminal syndicate in Beed district who allegedly played a prominent role in the murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.

The plea, filed in the HC's Aurangabad bench last month, sought Munde's removal from the cabinet for a fair probe into the murder case.

It was withdrawn on Tuesday as the petitioner was not comfortable with the prayers mentioned in it, the petitioner's lawyer said.

In the plea, Dhananjay Deshmukh had also sought that Walmik Karad, a close associate of Munde, be named in the FIR related to the sarpanch's murder, he said.

Karad, wanted in an extortion case linked to the murder of the sarpanch, surrendered before the police in Pune last week.

According to police, Santosh Deshmukh was abducted and killed on December 9 allegedly for opposing an extortion bid by some individuals who had demanded money from a windmill company in Beed district.

Dhananjay Deshmukh and the deceased sarpanch's daughter Vaibhavi met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on Tuesday and sought justice in the case.

They also told him that the accused in the case had past criminal records, and demanded action against them.

Asked if Fadnavis gave any assurance, Dhananjay Deshmukh said, "The CM assured us that people involved in this case will face legal action. We will also learn about the investigation's progress in the next two days."