Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday took a review of the security arrangements at the Mantralaya, the state secretariat in south Mumbai, with senior officials of the home department and the police force.

Fadnavis reviewed the security measures at the Mantralaya along with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a meeting, officials said.

Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) I S Chahal, Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, Special Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti and other officers attended the meeting, they said.

Issues concerning other aspects of security were also discussed during the meeting, the officials said.

Mumbai, Jan 2: The NCP-SP and Congress on Thursday took a swipe at Beed police asking whether five new beds have been ordered for the comfort of Walmik Karad, a close associate of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde from Beed, who was wanted in an extortion case linked to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, who surrendered before the CID in Pune on Tuesday.

An extortion case has been registered against Karad who has been remanded in police custody for 14 days by Kej court in Beed district.

The police administration subsequently clarified that they were cots for the staff.

NCP-SP legislator Rohit Pawar in his post on X said, “There are reports of five new beds being ordered at the police station. Although the administration has clarified that new cots have been ordered for the staff, there are many questions like, how come the beds were suddenly ordered today? If new beds have been ordered for the staff, the same level of promptness should be shown for the staff in all police stations across the state.

“In addition, consideration should be given to whether mattresses, pillows, fans, and ACs can also be installed.”

On the other hand, senior Congress legislator Vijay Wadettiwar took a dig at the MahaYuti government asking whether the five cots ordered for the Beed police station were for Walmik Karad being covered under the ‘Ladli Aaropi Yojana (beloved accused scheme)’.

“There are not so many coincidences in the movies also as are witnessed in the police administration’s move to order five beds when Walmik Karad has been sentenced to 14 days’ police custody.

“This is the beginning of pampering the accused. Gradually he will get everything like TV, AC, and food from a five-star hotel,” remarked Wadettiwar.

“Does this government want to take fair action against Walmik Karad? If it wants to, then the investigation should be conducted outside Beed district. Will it investigate the person who has kept the police in its grip till now or will it be a service? The government should either stop pretending to take action against Karad and if it wants to take action, it should be done seriously,” said Wadettiwar.

“Whether it is the murder of Santosh Deshmukh or a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), no case has been registered in Karad yet, which raises questions about this investigation,” he commented.

The state government on Wednesday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IPS officer Basavaraj Teli to investigate the brutal killing of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh from Beed district which took place in December last year.

Teli is the head of the Economic Offences Wing of the CID. All the officers in the SIT are from Beed district.

The current investigating officer DYSP Anil Gujar will also be in the probe team.

Apart from Gujar, the other members of the SIT include Vijay Singh Shivlal Jonwal, assistant police inspector, Local Crime Branch, Beed, Mahesh Vighne, sub inspector, Local Crime Branch, Beed, Anand Shankar Shinde, sub inspector Kej, Tulshiram Jagtap, assistant sub inspector, Manoj Rajendra Wagh, police constable, Chandrakant S Kalkute, police naik, Balasaheb Devidas Akhabare, police naik and Santosh Bhagwanrao Gitte, police constable.

The Santosh Deshmukh murder case is currently being investigated by the CID and so far more than 150 people have been questioned in this case.

The investigation is being conducted in connection with the links between the extortion of Rs 2 crore and the CID team is checking all the call records, CDRs on a war footing.

New Delhi, Jan 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday commended the Maharashtra government for its initiatives in driving development in Maoist-affected areas of the state.

Taking to social media platform X, the Prime Minister wrote, “I laud the Maharashtra Government’s efforts to ensure all-round development in remote and Maoist-affected areas. This will certainly boost the ‘Ease of Living’ and pave the way for even more progress. A special congratulations to my sisters and brothers of Gadchiroli and the surrounding areas!”

The statement comes after 11 Maoists, including a senior leader, surrendered on Wednesday in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who spent New Year’s Day in Gadchiroli district.

Among the surrendered Maoists were eight women and three men, including two couples. They carried rewards amounting to over Rs 1 crore in Maharashtra, with additional bounties from the Chhattisgarh government.

The group included Tarakka, the head of the Dandakaranya Zonal Committee and the wife of Bhupati, a prominent Maoist leader. Tarakka had been part of the Naxalite movement for 34 years.

The surrendered individuals also included three division committee members, one deputy commander, and two area committee members. They were provided financial assistance totalling Rs 86 lakh to support their rehabilitation.

In the last year, 24 Maoists have been killed and 18 arrested in Maharashtra. Over the past six months, 27 hardcore Maoists have joined the mainstream. CM Fadnavis highlighted that the northern part of Gadchiroli has been freed from Maoism, and efforts are ongoing to eliminate it from the southern region as well.

“In the last four years, not a single youth has joined the Maoist movement. As many as 11 villages have banned Naxalites, and the C-60 soldiers have earned the trust of the people,” said Fadnavis, stressing that residents now believe in achieving justice through the Indian Constitution rather than Maoist ideology.

CM Fadnavis announced that Gadchiroli is on the path to becoming a “Steel City” with support from Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He assured that surrendered Maoists would be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.

The Chief Minister inaugurated various development projects during his visit, including a bus service from Aheri to Gardewada, a green mining project, and several initiatives by Lloyds Metals. These projects involve significant investments — Rs 400 crore worth DII Plant at Konsari will provide 700 jobs; Rs 3,000 crore worth Pellet Plant and Slurry Pipeline will provide 1,000 jobs; Rs 2,700 crore Iron Ore Grinding Plant at Hedri, Etapalli will provide 1,500 jobs; and Rs 20 crore Vanya Garment Unit which will provide 600 jobs.

Fadnavis also launched the Lloyds Kali Ammal Hospital and Lloyds Raj Vidyaniketan CBSE School, which will educate 1,200 students. He inaugurated residences for police, a gymkhana, and a kindergarten.

Fadnavis interacted with villagers and security personnel in Pengunda, an extremely remote area, reaffirming the government’s commitment to bringing development to the region.