The protest was held at five places in Latur city, and at Mahalangra, Chakur Nitpur, Borgaon Kale, Budhoda, Ausa, Ahmadpur and Mahapur in Latur district of Maharashtra
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Protesters of a local organisation on Tuesday staged 'Chakka Jam' or road blockades in Maharashtra's Latur district to protest the Beed sarpanch murder, reported the PTI.
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The protest was held at five places in Latur city, and at Mahalangra, Chakur Nitpur, Borgaon Kale, Budhoda, Ausa, Ahmadpur and Mahapur in Latur district of Maharashtra, as per the PTI.
The 'Sarvpakshiya Nagrik Manch' (all-party citizens forum) had called for blockade from 10 am to 4 pm, but the agitation was called off by 1 pm in the city due to the police's intervention.
Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog in neighbouring Beed district, was abducted and brutally murdered on December 9.
According to the PTI, during the agitation, protesters shouted slogans against the state government's alleged apathy in the matter and demanded the ouster of Maharashtra ministers Dhananjay Munde and Pankaja Munde if they were found to have links to the murder.
Dhananjay Munde, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party headed by deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is under fire as Munde's close aide Walmik Karad was arrested in an extortion case related to the murder. Deshmukh was allegedly killed for trying to thwart the bid to extort money from a windmill company.
Both Dhananjay and his cousin and BJP leader Pankaja Munde are legislators from Beed.
"If the government failed to take strict action, a protest will be staged in Parali in front of Dhananjay Munde's residence," said Uday Gaware, one of the agitators, the news agency reported.
The protesters submitted a memorandum of demands to district officials here. The demands included the arrest of all the accused, protection and financial aid of Rs 50 lakh for the Deshmukh family, protection for the witnesses, and narco tests for the accused.
They also demanded financial aid of Rs 50 lakh for the kin of Somnath Suryavanshi who died in custody after being arrested over a violent protest against the vandalisation of the Constitution's replica in Parbhani city.
Meanwhile, Bajrang Sonawane, the NCP (SP) MP from Beed, said if the arrested accused in the Deshmukh murder case were not providing information to the police, "they should be handed over to the public."
"It is unfortunate that this incident (murder) took place on December 9, but still one accused is absconding," he told reporters in Beed city.
(with PTI inputs)
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