Mumbai: In the Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam presented his arguments for the first time on Wednesday in the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) court. He provided a detailed account of the events surrounding the murder, claiming that Sudarshan Ghule was the leader of the gang involved.
A day later, activist Anjali Damania, who has made several allegations against NCP leader Dhananjay Munde since the murder, expressed concerns over certain points raised during the hearing. She said Nikam’s claim about Ghule is “based on misleading information”.
Casting doubt on the narrative, Damania said, “Santosh Deshmukh’s murder occurred on the instructions of the arrested accused Walmik Karad, so presenting Ghule as the gang leader seems suspicious.” Damania further demanded that Munde should be named as an accused, alleging that the minister “guided” the arrested individuals.
“If the phones of those arrested are seized and checked, I believe it may lead to Munde,” she said, intensifying her call for a deeper investigation into the political connections behind the murder. So far, eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case, all of whom have been charged under the stringent MCOCA.
They are Karad, Ghule, Vishnu Chate, Jairam Chate, Mahesh Kedar, Sudhir Sangale, Prateek Ghule, and Siddharth Sonawane. Authorities are also on the lookout for Krishna Andhale, who remains a wanted suspect.
