Munde’s resignation came just hours after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reportedly sought his removal. The decision follows a late-night meeting on Monday between Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, where the political implications of the chargesheet filed by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) were discussed.
The CID’s 1,200-page chargesheet, submitted on February 27, details the abduction, torture, and murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh on December 9, 2024. Deshmukh was allegedly killed for intervening in an extortion attempt targeting an energy company in Beed. The case has led to the invocation of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), with seven arrests made so far and one accused still at large.
Three related cases—Deshmukh’s murder, an extortion attempt on Avaada Energy, and an assault on the company’s security guard—are under investigation at Kej police station in Beed.
Dhananjay Munde, who was the state minister for food and civil supplies, also served as guardian minister of Beed before the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leadership reassigned the position to Ajit Pawar. Munde, an NCP MLA from Parli, had earlier faced political scrutiny, but his close association with Karad, now accused number one in the case, has intensified the pressure on him.
In his resignation statement, Munde expressed his deep anguish over the crime and called for the harshest punishment for the accused. He cited health reasons as a factor in his decision, stating that doctors had advised him to seek medical treatment in the coming days.
After resigning from his ministerial post, Munde released a statement on social media, saying:
“My firm demand from the very first day has been that the accused in the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh from Massajog in Beed district should receive the harshest possible punishment. Seeing the photos that came up yesterday has deeply pained my heart. The investigation of this case has been completed, and the chargesheet has been filed in the court. Additionally, a judicial inquiry has also been proposed. Recalling my sense of discernment and considering that my health has not been well for the past few days, the doctors have advised me to undergo treatment for the next few days. Therefore, for medical reasons as well, I have submitted my resignation from my ministerial position in the cabinet to the Chief Minister.”
With Munde’s resignation, political tensions in Maharashtra continue to escalate as opposition leaders demand greater accountability in the high-profile case. The unfolding developments are expected to have far-reaching implications for state politics, particularly within the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP.
