Those involved in sarpanch murder case should be hanged to death: Ajit Pawar

Pune, Jan 23 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar on Thursday said those involved in the gruesome murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh should be hanged to death.

He also said the state government would take measures to ensure that only the eligible candidates receive the benefits of the Ladki Bahin Yojana, under which women are given Rs 1,500 aid per month.

Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in central Maharashtra's Beed district, was abducted and tortured to death on December 9. Preliminary investigation indicated that Deshmukh had tried to resist an extortion attempt targeting an energy company.

"The way Massajog sarpanch was brutally murdered, those involved in the act should be hanged. Three agencies- Crime Investigation Department (CID), Special Investigation Team (SIT) and judiciary have been probing the case," Pawar told reporters.

Walmik Karad, a close aide of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, has been arrested in the extortion case linked to the sarpanch's murder.

When asked about the influx of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and reports of Bangladeshi women receiving the benefit of the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana' in Mumbai, he said this issue of illegal immigrants is prevalent in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and other cities, but the work of identifying them and deporting them back to their country was on.

"The man who attacked actor Saif Ali Khan is also a Bangladeshi," he said.

On reports of bogus beneficiaries receiving aid under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, he said when the scheme was rolled out, the state government wanted to link up the scheme with Aadhaar, but it could not be done at that time due to paucity of time.

"But now, the state government will take steps to ensure that the benefits of the scheme are given to those who area really eligible," Pawar said.

He, however, said there was no question of recovery of scheme amount paid to ineligible women so far. PTI SPK NP