Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Still reeling from the brutal murder of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, the Beed district was rocked by another instance of political violence on Tuesday noon. A high-voltage drama unfolded inside the Beed Panchayat Samiti office when a village Sarpanch allegedly assaulted a deputy sarpanch from a neighbouring village, questioning why the latter was “interfering” in his jurisdiction on Tuesday.
According to sources and viral videos on social media, the incident, which occurred in full public view, has sent shockwaves through the local administration. A video of the altercation has since gone viral on social media, prompting calls for strict action against the erring public representatives.
The victim, identified as Dhananjay Gundekar, the deputy sarpanch of Ambesavali in Beed tehsil and a Director of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee, had visited the Panchayat Samiti office to process a file related to a well for a farmer from Mauj village in Beed tehsil.
According to eyewitnesses, Sandeep Dawkar, the Sarpanch of Mauj village, arrived at the office and confronted Gundekar. Dawkar reportedly took offence to Gundekar assisting a resident of his village, demanding, "Why are you doing the work of people from my village?"
What began as a heated verbal spat quickly escalated into a physical brawl. Dawkar allegedly hurled abuses at Gundekar before physically assaulting him. The sudden outburst of violence caused panic among the government employees and citizens present in the office, bringing administrative work to a standstill for several hours.
Gundekar, who has since approached the police, alleged that the attack was unprovoked. "I was merely helping a farmer with his documentation. Dawkar charged at me and assaulted me without provocation. I fear for my life as there is a serious threat from him," Gundekar told reporters.
The Beed police have confirmed that the process of registering an FIR (First Information Report) is underway. This incident has once again turned the spotlight on the deteriorating law and order situation and the growing "muscle power" culture among local representatives in the district.
Public sentiment in Beed remains tense, as residents question how safety can be guaranteed in government offices if elected representatives resort to violence over minor jurisdictional disputes.
