Maharashtra Court Sends Munde Aide to Custody in Extortion Case

A Maharashtra court has sent Walmik Karad, an aide of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, to judicial custody in a Rs 2 crore extortion case tied to a sarpanch's murder. Karad surrendered to police after claiming political vendetta linked him to the crime.

A Maharashtra court has ordered 14-day judicial custody for Walmik Karad, an aide of NCP Minister Dhananjay Munde, in connection with a Rs 2 crore extortion case linked to the murder of a sarpanch in Beed district.

Karad surrendered to police in Pune on December 31. Initially, he was placed in 14-day police custody and was brought to Beed for a court appearance on Tuesday.

He faces charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA). Dhananjay Deshmukh, the brother of the murdered sarpanch, had demanded such charges and even staged a protest in Massajog village, asserting that Karad's actions were politically motivated.

(With inputs from agencies.)