NEW DELHI: Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde resigned from his post on Tuesday following chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s demand for his resignation over allegations linking his close associate, Walmik Karad, to the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
“Dhananjay Munde submitted his resignation today, which I have accepted and forwarded to the governor for further action,” said Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.
According to sources, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar held discussions with Fadnavis on Monday night regarding the implications of the Crime Investigation Department’s (CID) chargesheet. The document, which details the murder case and two related incidents, names Karad as the primary accused.
Munde, who served as the state’s food and civil supplies minister and represented the Parli constituency in Beed district as an NCP MLA, was previously the guardian minister of Beed. Currently, NCP leader Ajit Pawar oversees both Beed and Pune districts in that role.
The case revolves around the abduction, torture, and murder of Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, on December 9 last year. Investigations suggest that Deshmukh was targeted for opposing extortion attempts linked to an energy company operating in the district.
On February 27, the CID submitted an extensive chargesheet exceeding 1,200 pages to a Beed district court, detailing Deshmukh’s murder along with two associated cases. The Kej police station in Beed has registered three separate cases related to the incident—Deshmukh’s murder, an attempted extortion from Avaada Energy Company, and an assault on the company’s security guard.
Authorities have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused. Seven individuals have been arrested under MCOCA provisions, while one suspect remains at large.
Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale also stated that while NCP leader and state cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde may not be directly involved in the Massajog sarpanch murder case, he should step down on moral grounds.
Speaking to reporters in Nashik on Sunday, Athawale, whose Republican Party of India is an NDA ally, emphasized that Valmik Karad, the prime accused in the case, is known to be close to Munde. He added that the state CID has already confirmed Karad’s involvement in the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
Who is Dhananjay Munde
Dhananjay Munde, 49, is an MLA from Ajit Pawar’s NCP and represents the Parli constituency in Beed. He is the nephew of late BJP veteran Gopinath Munde and the cousin of Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde.
Munde joined the NCP in 2013 and later aligned with Ajit Pawar when the party split in 2023. Previously, he served as the Leader of the Opposition in the legislative council and held a ministerial position in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.