Beed sarpanch murder: Walmik Karad’s mother protests in Beed, demands his release

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Parubai Karad, mother of extortion case accused Walmik Karad, staged a protest outside the Parli police station in Beed district on Tuesday, demanding her son's release and claiming his innocence. Karad, an associate of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, was arrested on 31 December 2024, in connection with an extortion case tied to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village.

According to PTI reports, Parubai Karad vocally asserted her son's innocence, stating, "My son has not done anything, and he should be released. Even if my life ends, I will not get up from here." The protest witnessed the participation of approximately 50 of Walmik Karad's supporters, who gathered in solidarity outside the police station.

When questioned about the allegations against her son, Parubai dismissed them as fabricated, saying, "I don't know who is doing this, but this is all fake." She further accused BJP MLA Suresh Dhas and NCP (SP) MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar of falsely implicating her son and demanded their arrest.

As per PTI, the police station in-charge at Parli declined to comment on the matter.

The case revolves around the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, who was abducted, tortured, and killed on 9 December 2024. Preliminary investigations suggest that Deshmukh had attempted to thwart an extortion attempt targeting an energy firm operating a windmill project in the region.

The Kej police have so far apprehended seven individuals in connection with the murder, while another suspect remains at large. Karad's arrest pertains specifically to the extortion case linked to this incident. Meanwhile, the family of the deceased sarpanch has called for Karad to be charged with murder, intensifying the demand for further legal action.

(With inputs from PTI)