Beed Sarpanch Murder: Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde Resigns as Close Aide Faces Accusations
Mumbai, March 04, 2025 – Maharashtra’s political landscape was rocked today as State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde tendered his resignation amid the escalating Beed Sarpanch murder case. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader stepped down after his close aide, Walmik Karad, was named a prime accused in the brutal killing of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district.
The shocking murder took place on December 9, 2024, when Deshmukh was abducted, tortured, and killed, allegedly for opposing an extortion racket targeting a windmill energy firm in Beed. Karad, arrested in January after weeks on the run, surrendered to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in Pune, claiming political vendetta. However, a CID chargesheet filed on February 27 labeled him the mastermind behind the crime, intensifying scrutiny on Munde.
Munde, an MLA from Parli in Beed, faced relentless pressure from opposition parties and even some allies in the ruling Mahayuti coalition. Leaders like NCP (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule and BJP MLA Suresh Dhas demanded his exit, citing his ties to Karad. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after a late-night meeting with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Monday, reportedly asked Munde to resign, a decision sources say was finalized today.
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“I’ve done nothing wrong, but if my leaders feel I should step down, I respect that,” Munde told reporters earlier this year, denying direct involvement. Yet, the opposition painted him as complicit, pointing to Karad’s long-standing association with the minister. Protests erupted across Beed, with thousands marching in December to demand justice for Deshmukh’s family.
The case has spiraled into a major controversy, with seven arrests made so far and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) invoked. One suspect remains at large, and the CID continues its probe. Munde’s resignation, accepted by Fadnavis and sent to the Governor, marks a turning point in the scandal that has gripped Maharashtra since late 2024.
