Beed: The murder trial of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh will now be heard by a new judge after the transfer of the presiding Special MCOCA Court judge in Beed.
The Bombay High Court has transferred Judge V H Patwadkar, who had been handling the case for the past year, to Sangamner in Ahilyanagar district as part of routine judicial transfers across Maharashtra. The transferred judges have been directed to take charge of their new postings during the court vacation period.
Following the transfer, Judge J R Pulate from Dhule has been appointed as the new Special MCOCA Court judge in Beed.
The Santosh Deshmukh murder case has witnessed important hearings over the last year. The court has already completed the process of framing charges against the accused. Some accused have challenged the charges before the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court.
With the transfer of Judge Patwadkar, all further hearings in the case will now continue before Judge Pulate.
Judicial officials describe Judge Pulate as an experienced officer who has handled several important and sensitive cases in the past. The Deshmukh murder case is expected to be one of the key matters before his court.
Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was murdered on December 9, 2024. The incident sparked strong reactions across Maharashtra.
Due to the seriousness of the case, the Maharashtra government later transferred the investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department and a special investigation team.
Police have arrested all the accused in the case except Krishna Andhale, who is still absconding.
With the new judge set to take charge soon, attention is now focused on the future progress of the trial and when the court may deliver its verdict in the high-profile case.
