Urgent Trial Demanded in Mumbai: Shocking Twist in Santosh Deshmukh Murder Case with 7 Arrests

A wave of needs has been stirred up by the trial of the Santosh Deshmukh murder case and activist Anjali Damania says it is all completed in Mumbai to ensure transparency. After a meeting with Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla on Wednesday, Damania stressed the need to transfer all the accused, including Vishnu Chate, to Arthur Road prison in Mumbai to avoid the accused colluding with the local police.

Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Maharashtra’s Beed district was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9. The preliminary investigations showed that Deshmukh had refused to pay an extortion demand pertaining to a windmill owner, which led to his brutal killing. The police have arrested seven people, including Chate, at the same time and one suspect is still at large.

Damania claimed that Chate has been transferred to Latur prison “of his choice” through the police collusion and she demands stricter oversight. She also linked the case to a larger nexus of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde and pointed to a government loan of ₹60 crore to a sugar mill associated with Munde.

She also accused Munde’s aide Walmik Karad of being involved in an extortion case related to Deshmukh’s murder and demands more scrutiny. The enrichment of the activist serves as a reminder of the necessity of a sincere trial in finding out the truth in this high profile case and bringing justice to the sarpanch’s family as well as addressing the issue in the system.