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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Kaleidoscope

A fisherman casts a net in Sonitpur district of Assam on Monday. A sadhu with his pet langur at a transit camp while en route to the Gangasagar Mela at Babughat in Kolkata on Monday. Kite enthusiasts and flyers from abroad and India during the inauguration of the International Kite Festival at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad on Monday. A man rides a bicycle along the banks of the river Ganga as the sun rises on a cold winter morning in Prayagraj on Monday. Women paint 'alpona' designs, a...

Kaleidoscope

A fisherman casts a net in Sonitpur district of Assam on Monday. A sadhu with his pet langur at a transit camp while en route to the Gangasagar Mela at Babughat in Kolkata on Monday. Kite enthusiasts and flyers from abroad and India during the inauguration of the International Kite Festival at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad on Monday. A man rides a bicycle along the banks of the river Ganga as the sun rises on a cold winter morning in Prayagraj on Monday. Women paint 'alpona' designs, a folk art, ahead of the 'Makar Sankranti' festival in Agratala on Monday.

Photographs of the brutal murder proved last straw

Updated: Mar 6, 2025

Santosh Deshmukh

Mumbai: Beaten with rods, urinated on him, the shocking torture and unspeakable brutality on Santosh Deshmukh which came to light through photographs shook the Maharashtra politics which led to minister Dhananjay Munde’s ouster.


Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district was abducted by six men in an SUV on December 9 afternoon at Dongaon toll plaza and taken towards Kej taluka. He was found unconscious at Daithna Shivar that evening. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead. According to police officials, he was beaten for over two hours with a gas pipe, an iron rod, wooden sticks and sharp weapons.


The police investigation following the murder of Deshmukh revealed the cruelty and violent behaviour of the assailants. Nearly three months on, state minister Dhananjay Munde has resigned amid outrage over the killing that allegedly involved his top aide. The probe found that Santosh Deshmukh had tried to stop an extortion attempt targeting a windmill energy firm operating in the region and the mastermind of his killing was Munde's aide Walmik Karad.


The Police have recently filed the chargesheet. It categorically said that Santosh Deshmukh was tortured before being killed and the assailants recorded 15 videos, clicked eight photos and even made two video calls to document the brutality. In one of the videos mentioned in the chargesheet, five accused are seen thrashing slain sarpanch with a white pipe and a wooden stick, and kicking and punching him. The video shows Deshmukh in a half-naked condition. Another video shows one of the accused urinating on him as he bleeds heavily.


Walmik Karad, the prime accused in the chilling murder case, is a close aide of NCP leader and minister Dhananjay Munde. As Karad’s alleged role in the shocking murder emerged during the probe, the opposition started demanding action. The Crime Investigation Department's (CID) 1,200-page charge sheet provided more ammo to the opposition. As chilling visuals documenting the brutality suffered by Deshmukh flashed on social media and TV screens the pressure started mounting on CM Devendra Fadnavis.


As public outcry took the momentum Fadnavis had a meeting with deputy chief minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar to discuss the political fallout of the chargesheet and what the investigation revealed about Karad's alleged role. Eventually, he pulled the plug and Munde was asked to resign. The demand for Munde’s resignation was persistent. However, videos and photos of the incident turned to be a last straw forcing Munde’s exit.


36 murder cases in Beed

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday informed the state assembly that 36 murder cases were registered in Beed district from January to October 2024.

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