Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde Resigns Due to 'Illness' After Aide Named in Beed Sarpanch Murder Case

Mumbai: The State Food and Civil Supplies Minister of Maharashtra, Dhananjay Munde has resigned from his position; Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also accepted his resignation. This grave step by the Maharashtra Minister comes after his aide was named in the Beed Sarpanch Murder Case.

Dhananjay Munde Resigns, CM Fadnavis Accepts Resignation

The Chief Minister of Maharashtra informed the members of the legislative assembly through the media, that Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde has tendered his resignation and it has also been accepted by the Maharashtra CM. Fadnavis said that Munde's resignation has now been sent to the Governor for further action. 

Maharashtra Minister Quits Amid Sarpanch Murder Case Probe

The resignation of the Maharashtra Minister and NCP MLA from Parli in Beed district comes after his aide was named in the ongoing probe of the Beed Sarpanch Murder Case. According to reports, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had requested State Minister Dhananjay Munde to step down following the involvement of his close aide, Walmik Karad, who had been named an accused in the murder case of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. 

Sources revealed that on Monday night, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar met with Fadnavis to discuss the repercussions of the CID's chargesheet, which includes Karad as the primary accused in both the Deshmukh murder case and two related cases. Dhananjay Munde has also been the guardian minister of Beed; the position is now held by Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

All About the Beed Sarpanch Murder Case

Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, was kidnapped, tortured, and killed on December 9 of 2024, allegedly for trying to prevent an extortion attempt against an energy company in the area. On February 27, the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) submitted a chargesheet, which was over 1,200 pages long, to a court in Beed district in connection with Deshmukh's murder and two related incidents. 

Three separate cases have been registered at Kej police station in Beed: the murder of the sarpanch, an extortion attempt targeting the Avaada company, and the assault of the company’s security guard. The police have applied the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) to the accused in these cases. As of now, a total of seven people have been arrested and booked under the MCOCA Act but one accused is still yet to be caught.