The murder of Santosh Deshmukh, a sarpanch from Beed, has embroiled the Maharashtra government in controversy, with allegations of favoritism towards the accused, Valmiki Karad, currently in custody. The arrival of five new beds at the Beed police station, where Karad is detained, has raised eyebrows, with one bed reportedly disappearing under unclear circumstances.
Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar lashed out at the government, accusing it of shielding the accused. "Does Valmiki Karad fall under the Mahayuti government?s ?favourite accused scheme?? Why were five new beds brought to the police station? Such coincidences don?t happen even in movies," he remarked. Wadettiwar added that this could lead to further pampering of the accused, including luxuries like TVs and five-star meals.
Amid the criticism, Wadettiwar alleged that Karad?s encounter could be staged to protect senior leaders. Responding to the uproar, authorities stated that the beds were intended for police personnel tasked with monitoring Karad and dismissed claims of preferential treatment as baseless.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the issue, emphasizing that additional security measures were necessary in Beed. ?Should the security personnel be made to sleep on the floor? The opposition is making these allegations purely for publicity,? he stated.
In a significant development, Fadnavis announced the possibility of appointing renowned lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor in the case. ?I have spoken to Nikam over the phone, and depending on his availability, we will appoint him for this case,? said Fadnavis. The move followed a request from BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, who urged Fadnavis to bring in a prosecutor of Nikam?s stature.
Meanwhile, the CID continues to probe the Deshmukh murder case, having questioned over 150 individuals. Summons have been issued for three more persons, though their identities remain undisclosed. Karad, who is also under CID custody for a related extortion case, has been remanded to 14 days of custody by the Kej (Beed district) court.
