Crime
Beed Sarpanch murder case: NCP Minister Dhananjay Munde resigns
Mumbai, March 4: Amid raging controversy over the brutal killing of Massajog Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh from Beed district, Minister of Food and Civil Supplies and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde on Tuesday resigned following a directive from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Munde’s personal assistant visited CM Fadnavis’ ‘Sagar’ bungalow and submitted the Minister’s resignation letter to the Chief Minister’s Office.
Munde, who is diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy (partial paralysis), did not come in person as he preferred to stay at the official bungalow.
The opposition staged a protest at the entrance of Vidhan Bhavan, demanding the resignation of Munde and Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, who was convicted by the Nashik court in a fake documents case.
Although Munde was reluctant to tender his resignation, it was CM Fadnavis who prevailed over him and asked him to step down, especially when the chorus was increasing from ruling and opposition parties and various social organisations.
Munde’s resignation comes a day after the photos and videos of Deshmukh’s murder went viral on TV channels.
He was asked to resign days after the 1800-page charge sheet filed by the state CID had named the Minister’s close associate Walmik Karad as the mastermind in the broad daylight murder of Santosh Deshmukh in December last year. The charge sheet has mentioned all eight accused, including Karad, though one accused Krishna Andhale is still missing.
Karad has already been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act in connection with the extortion case, which was linked to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh. Munde was under tremendous pressure to submit his resignation, but he and the NCP took the stand that he would resign after the findings of the investigations by CID, special investigation team and judicial committee.
NCP president and Dy CM Ajit Pawar reiterated that the party has condemned the brutal killing of Massajog sarpanch, adding that it will take a call on Munde’s resignation after probe and the court order. Ajit Pawar had reminded Munde that he had himself submitted his resignation on moral grounds in the past after he was targeted over the irrigation scam. Thereafter, the Chief Minister left the decision of Munde’s resignation to Ajit Pawar.
The charge sheet was filed last week, along with matching voice samples of Karad and the company employees. CCTV footage showed the connection of the accused in the murder case with the extortion crime. The police sources said that after a CID investigation with the help of about 180 witnesses, Walmik was named as the mastermind of the crime. Evidence was been presented against eight accused, including Karad. The ‘digital’ evidence in this investigation, conducted under the guidance of Investigation Officer Basavaraj Teli, was examined and prepared by the forensic laboratory.
In the extortion case, Walmik has been accused of being the mastermind behind the crime. It has been mentioned in the charge sheet that he said, “End him as soon as he comes; otherwise, he will be forced to beg.”
Among the accused, Sudarshan Ghule and his accomplices were involved in organized crime. The charge sheet states that he and his accomplices committed 11 crimes in 10 years in Kej, Ambajogai in Beed district and Dharur and Kalamb in Dharashiv district.
According to the charge sheet, on October 8, 2024, Avaada Energy’s Land Acquisition Officer Shivaji Thopte went to meet Walmik Karad at his office in Parli at his request. Vishnu Chate was present at that time. At this time, Karad threatened, ‘If you want to keep the company running, pay Rs 2 crore or else stop all the work of Avada Company in Beed district.’
Further, on November 29, for the same demand, Sudarshan Ghule threatened, ‘Fulfill Walmik Anna’s demand and meet him. Do not start the work till then.’ Avadda Energy’s land acquisition officer Shivaji Thopte was abused and beaten up and threatened to pay Rs 2 crore or else the company would be closed.
Thereafter the company employees called and informed Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh about the incident. Following this, Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh went to the site and requested Sudarshan Ghule and his associates, ‘Don’t close the company. Let people get employment.’
At that time, since Sudarshan Ghule was at the forefront in demanding extortion, the sarpanch threatened Santosh Deshmukh, saying that he would not leave him alive.
On the afternoon of November 29, 2024, Walmik Karad, Vishnu Chate, Sudarshan Ghule, Prateek Ghule, Sudhir Sangle and Krishna Andhale held a meeting at Vishnu Chate’s office in Kej and demanded that Avaada Energy should pay Rs 2 crore. They hatched a conspiracy on the recovery of ransom and also how to deal with Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
According to the charge sheet, Santosh Deshmukh was abducted and murdered at the Dongaon toll plaza on December 9 last year. Since the charge sheet was filed in the court within 80 days, it will now be difficult for the accused to get bail, said the police sources. The government has recently appointed senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as special prosecutor in the case.
Crime
Rajasthan CMO gets bomb threat in Jaipur, police launch probe

Jaipur, Aug 18: Panic gripped Jaipur after the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) received a bomb threat on Tuesday.
A threatening phone call was received at the Jaipur Police Control Room, prompting police and administrative officials to step up security measures.
Soon after receiving the information, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Rajarshi Raj, reached the spot and took stock of the situation.
Police teams have launched an investigation to identify the caller and determine the motive behind the threat.
Technical teams are also examining the call details and other available information to trace its origin.
Police officials are treating the threat seriously and are checking whether it poses any actual security risk.
Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.
This is not the first time that prominent locations in Jaipur have received bomb threats.
In July 2025, both the Chief Minister’s Office and Jaipur International Airport were reportedly threatened through emails.
Security agencies, including bomb disposal teams, conducted searches at the locations, but no explosives were found.
Jaipur has also witnessed several similar threats targeting schools, the airport, metro stations, court complexes and the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
On May 30, 2025, a bomb threat was reported at Mansarovar Metro Station and the Metro Court-Family Court complex.
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium also received multiple bomb threats in May 2025.
Earlier in July 2025, Maheshwari Girls Public School in Vidhyadhar Nagar received a threatening email.
The school premises were evacuated and thoroughly searched by security teams. However, no explosive device was found.
The repeated threats have raised concerns over security in Jaipur, particularly as several high-profile government and public locations have been targeted in the past.
Police are now working to establish the identity of the person behind Tuesday’s call and determine whether the threat was genuine or a hoax.
Security agencies are maintaining heightened vigilance around the CMO and other sensitive locations in the city.
Crime
SC seeks replies from Centre, intermediaries on plea against police sharing photos of accused on social media

New Delhi, Aug 18: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre, sates and intermediaries to respond to a plea aimed at preventing police officials from uploading photos and videos of an accused on social media to safeguard the latter’s fundamental right to fair trial.
Taking note of the petitioner’ view that revealing identities of accused could prejudice their right to fair trial, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi and Justice V Mohana took note of a suggestion for having in place guidelines for use of social media by police organisations.
At the same time, CJI Surya Kant wondered how preventing police from sharing photos online could prevent the circulation of the content in the digital ecosystem.
“his is not a border that you can just close down,” CJI Kant said, agreeing with the need to prevent the uploading of content that reveals faces or identities of accused.
During the hearing, petitioner Hemendra Patel was represented by Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan who shared images and videos depicting accused in handcuffs or being made to kneel.
Stressing on the need for uniform guidelines at the national level, Sankaranarayanan said that there is a crying need for an operational mechanism to prevent police-generated content violating the rights of an accused, who is still to be proved guilty.
He added that similar issues have been examined in some High Courts earlier but there is scope for a uniform national framework to prevent police organisations from circulating photos and videos of the accused.
The petition, which made the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and social media platforms respondents in the matter, also sought a formal, transparent and structured mechanism for prompt removal of such content in case of an objection.
A reference was also made to a matter in Rajasthan High Court in January wherein the judges ordered a takedown of social media content related to an accused under arrest.
Following this case, the state police issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) curbing the practice of uploading or sharing of photos and videos of arrested persons on social media or with mediapersons.
Crime
Two held with stolen foreign liquor worth Rs 27,000 in Pune

Pune, Aug 18: Two men were apprehended after police found stolen liquor from a shop in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar on Tuesday, officials said.
Six bottles of foreign liquor, valued at Rs 27,200, were recovered from the accused.
According to the officials, the youths were apprehended by a team from Yerwada police station near the GST office in Kalyani Nagar.
The investigators said that the accused have been identified as Rohan Ram Kamble (28) and Amit Mahadev Sitapure (27).
They also added that a case has been registered against both the accused under Sections 303(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
While patrolling the area on Tuesday, police personnel Sandeep Jaybhay received information that two suspicious-looking youths were standing near the GST office and might be in possession of stolen goods, the officials said.
Acting on this information, the police team arrived at the spot and intercepted the two youths. They failed to provide satisfactory answers during questioning. Upon searching the bag they were carrying, the police found six bottles of foreign liquor, the officials added.
The police took both individuals to the Yerwada police station for questioning, during which, according to the officials, the accused admitted that the liquor bottles had been stolen from the ‘Tonic Outlet’ shop in Kalyani Nagar.
According to the police, the recovered liquor is linked to a theft case registered at the Yerwada police station.
The officials said that Sub-Inspector Kishor Berad is conducting investigations into the matter to ascertain the nexus and see if the accused duo has been involved in similar incidents in the past.
Necessary legal proceedings have been initiated in connection with the case, the investigators said.
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