Protest March in Pune: Justice for Beed Sarpanch and Police Custody Death Sought

A Maratha outfit organized a march in Pune condemning the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh and the custodial death of Somnath Suryawanshi. The march saw participation from political leaders and demanded action against Minister Dhananjay Munde and his associates for the incidents.

A Maratha organization staged a protest march in Pune on Sunday to denounce the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh and the police custody death of Somnath Suryawanshi.

The march, organized by the local unit of Akhand Maratha Samaj, began from the historic Lal Mahal and concluded at the District Collector's office.

Participants included family members of the slain sarpanch, ex-Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, MP Bajrang Sonawane, BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, and leaders across political spectrums. Protestors voiced strong demands for the removal of state Minister Dhananjay Munde from his ministerial position.

Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village, was reportedly abducted, tortured, and murdered on December 9 over an extortion issue linked to a windmill project. Walmik Karad, an aide to Minister Munde, is among those arrested. Seven arrests have been made so far.

BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, speaking to reporters, called for the involvement of the Enforcement Directorate in the investigation. He also urged officials and political leaders to be held accountable, demanding Minister Munde's resignation.

The MLA appealed to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to address the concerns raised by the protestors and take appropriate action.

(With inputs from agencies.)