Beed Sarpanch murder: Police kept Nanded 'doctor' under watch to track down two suspects in Pune

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A "doctor" picked up from Maharashtra's Nanded district proved to be a crucial link leading police to two accused in Pune who were wanted in the Beed sarpanch murder case, an official said on Saturday, PTI reported.

As per PTI, the Beed Police team arrested Sudarshan Chandrabhan Ghule (26) and Sudhir Sangle (23) from Pune, four weeks following Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh abduction and murder. The exact motive behind the crime is still being investigated, PTI reported.

"Police monitored movements of Dr Sambhaji Vaybhase after his alleged links with Sudarshan Ghule surfaced during the investigation," PTI sources in Beed Police said.

Vaybhase was picked up from Nanded for questioning which led the Beed police to the both accused Ghule and Sangle, a police official said on the condition of anonymity.

Following interrogation, Vaybhase was turned over to the CID, which is looking into the murder case, he said, declining to provide further details.

Police suspect that Vaybhase helped Ghule flee after the murder. "We cannot reveal since when we were monitoring Vaybhase," the police official added.

Till now, six of the seven individuals have been arrested in the murder case.

Deshmukh was kidnapped, tortured and murdered on December 9 prima facie for attempting to stop an extortion bid on an energy firm operating a windmill project in Beed district, PTI reported.

Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde's close aide Walmik Karad has been arrested in the extortion case linked to the murder.

Beed sarpanch murder: All-party march held in Parbhani demanding arrest of all accused

An all-party march demanding a deeper investigation into the Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case was organised in Maharashtra's Parbhani city on Saturday, PTI reported.

The morcha started from the Nutan College ground and will culminate at the Shivaji Maharaj's statue.

Deshmuskh, the sarpanch of Beed district's Massajog village, was kidnapped, tortured and murdered on December 9 prima facie for attempting to stop an extortion bid on an energy firm operating a windmill project in the area, PTI reported.

The opposition has demanded the resignation of Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde after his close aide Walmik Karad was arrested in the extortion case in connection to Deshmukh's murder, PTI reported.

As per PTI, Public representatives from the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and ruling Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange, along with family members of the deceased Santosh Deshmukh joined the march.

Earlier, Parbhani witnessed violence after a glass-encased replica of the Constitution was vandalised.

The death of the Dalit man, Somnath Suryavanshi, arrested in relation to the violence in judicial custody triggered fresh protest, PTI reported.

(With PTI inputs)