Maharashtra Sarpanch murder: Prime suspect Walmik Karad surrenders

After posting a video statement, absconder Walmik Karad -- a prime suspect in the sensational broad daylight murder of Massajog (Beed) Sarpanch Santosh Pandit Deshmukh on December 9 -- surrendered to the CID, Pune, here on Tuesday morning.

Karad – on the run for the past 22 days -- claimed innocence in an extortion case he had been booked for. He gave himself up after a series of measures by the state police to zero in on him.

In his statement, he contended that he was implicated in a false case of extortion on December 12 -- which is now being linked with the Beed Sarpanch murder case, though his name doesn’t figure in this (murder) -- said that he was prepared to cooperate with the investigators and also ready for any punishment.

A former domestic helper at the home of Maharashtra’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Cabinet Minister Dhananjay P. Munde, Karad was later elected as a municipal councillor, but abruptly ‘disappeared’ as politics went on a massive boil.

Subsequently, deploying tech intel, the police tracked his movements to Pune and Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) and initiated the process to seize his properties, freeze bank accounts, other assets, etc.

Post-surrender, Karad is undergoing a questioning session with top police and CID officials, after which he is likely to be arrested and produced before a designated court for remand, an official indicated.

The deceased Sarpanch’s daughter Vaibhavi S. Deshmukh expressed satisfaction over Karad’s surrender, but demanded that even the other absconding culprits must be arrested and punished “to ensure justice to my father”.

“The police must scan the CDR of his (Karad) mobile, and find out all those who had helped him in any manner, arrest and give them the most stringent punishment under the law,” she demanded, her eyes moist with tears.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) General Secretary Dr Jitendra Awhad alleged that “everything is planned and orchestrated” and Karad is reportedly named as an ‘accused’ in a murder case lodged with Parli (Beed) Police.

Leaders of multiple political parties have said that Karad is booked/wanted/accused in several big and small cases but has continued to thrive owing to political patronage.

Shivba Sanghatana chief Manoj Jarange-Patil said that now Karad is in the police clutches, the investigators should arrest the other fugitives and reiterated that “Karad was supported by his political masters”, warning against any attempts to ‘protect him’.

The Sarpanch murder snowballed into a national political storm with condemnation from Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale, Congress’ Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar and other bigwigs.

The issue had also figured in the state legislature during the recent Winter Session in Nagpur, at least three all-party protest marches were taken out in Beed, Latur and Parbhani in support of the Deshmukh family.

In a move of solidarity, 543 Gram Panchayats in Gondia, 491 in Washim and 205 in Yavatmal districts are observing a 3-day shutdown to condemn the Massajog (Beed) Sarpanch’s murder, and over the next few days, more Gram Panchayats are expected to follow suit.