Deshmukh was killed as he camein way of extortion; Karadwas in contact with killers: SIT

 

 

 

SANTOSH Deshmukh was killed becausehewas thought tobe anobstacle in a plan to extort Rs2crore from an energy firm, andWalmikKarad was in contact with his killers when the crime was executed, a Special Investigation Team of Maharashtra Police told a court at Beed on Wednesday. The special court for Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) at Beed subsequently remandedKarad, an associate of NCP leader and Maharashtra MinisterDhananjayMunde,in theSIT’s custody for seven days.

 

While Karad was produced in the court amid tight security, his supporters called for a bandh in some places inBeed district and sought his release. Earlier held in the extortion case, he waschargedunder thestringentMCOCA on Tuesday, after which the SIT, which is probing the Deshmukh murdercase,soughthis freshcustody.Karad was in contact with the other accused during the sequence of events leading toDeshmukh’smurder,said theremand application submittedbythe SITin the court. This was established from the call detailrecords, it said.

 

On December 9, SudarshanGhuleandhisaidesallegedly abducted andmurderedDeshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village. Before and after the crime, Ghule, Vishnu ChateandWalmikKaradhadcalledeach other, said the SIT. Karad had called Avaada company’s representative Shivaji Thopte to his Parali office earlier and allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore. If the company didnotpay, theywillshutdownitswindmill projects in Beed, he had allegedly threatened, as per the SIT. On November 29, Karad called Sunil Shinde,anothercompanyofficial,from Vishnu Chate’s mobile phone and threatened to stop the work and asked him to do whatever Sudarshan Ghule was asking him to do, the SIT claimed.