CID-SIT files 1,400-page chargesheet in Beed sarpanch murder case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday submitted a 1,400-page chargesheet before the Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court against eight accused in the Massajog Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, member of investigating team said.

The chargesheet pertains to three First Information Reports (FIRs) registered in the case, the probe officer added. The first is related to Deshmukh’s murder, the second concerns a ₹2 crore extortion demand from Avada Wind Energy, and the third deals with the application of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) provisions in connection with the murder. All three cases were lodged at Kej police station.

The chargesheet details the role of Walmik Karad in Deshmukh’s murder, along with supporting evidence. 

It describes how the seven other accused conspired and executed the killing, including their individual roles. The investigation also sheds light on the alleged extortion attempt by Vishnu Chate and Karad, linking it directly to the murder.

Following Deshmukh’s murder on December 9, the state government set up an SIT, launched a CID investigation, and appointed a judicial commission to probe the case. The chargesheet was filed a day after the government appointed senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP).

The CID arrested Sudarshan Ghule, Vishnu Chate, Jairam Chate, Mahesh Kedar, Siddhartha Sonawane, Sudhir Sangale, and Prateek Ghule. Dhananjay Munde’s aide Walmik Karad, along with Vishnu Chate and Sudarshan Ghule, had been booked for allegedly demanding ₹2 crore in extortion from Avada Wind Energy after a complaint was filed against them by project officer Sunil Shinde on December 11. Karad had surrendered before the State CID in Pune on December 31 and was remanded to 15 days of police custody. Following the completion of his custody period, he was charged under MCOCA.

The chargesheet includes findings on who helped the accused escape, their movements after fleeing the crime scene, the weapons used, and how the crime was carried out. The probe also examines whether police officials failed in their duties, scrutinizing possible negligence. Additionally, it covers the properties amassed by Karad, his potential involvement in organized crime alongside Sudarshan Ghule, and digital call data records (CDR) that provide evidence of the accused’s criminal background.

Dhananjay Deshmukh, brother of slain Massajog Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, said, “I would be able to comment further only after receiving a copy on Monday.” 

He added that he had expected the CID-SIT to conduct a thorough investigation and believed they had done so. “The case was a complex one, involving not just the accused but also their backers and the wider network behind the extortion and murder,” said Deshmukh.

Beed MP and NCP (SP) leader Bajrang Sonawane questioned the urgency of filing the chargesheet in this and other related cases. 

“Why are the police in so much hurry to file the chargesheet? I am stunned to see all this…,” he said.