NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule
| Photo Credit: ANI
Baramati MP and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Supriya Sule has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to expedite the investigation into the murder of Mahadev Munde by involving the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a special investigation team (SIT). In a letter to the CM on Thursday, she stressed the need for an impartial probe to deliver justice to the victim’s family.
Munde, a resident of Parli in Beed district, was abducted on October 19, 2023, and his murder was confirmed three days later. Despite the passage of over a year, the assailants remain at large, causing distress to the victim’s family, Ms. Sule noted. She criticised the delay in the investigation, questioning the efficacy of the probe.
Additionally, Ms. Sule has written to the CM regarding two other cases; the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh and the custodial death of Somnath Suryavanshi in Parbhani.
Referring to Deshmukh’s murder on December 9, 2024, Ms. Sule said she recently met his family, who demanded swift action and the arrest of Krishna Andhale, one of the absconding accused. The family had even staged a hunger strike seeking justice. Deshmukh was allegedly abducted, tortured, and killed for attempting to thwart an extortion bid targeting an energy company, with allegations linking the crime to Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde’s aide, Walmik Karad, who was arrested in connection with the extortion case.
On the custodial death of Suryavanshi, the NCP(SP) leader alleged that police assaulted several individuals during a combing operation following protests over the vandalism of a replica of the Constitution in Parbhani on December 10, 2024. She claimed Suryavanshi died due to police brutality, while activist Vijay Vakode also lost his life during the operation. Ms. Sule demanded that culpable homicide cases be registered against the police personnel involved.
Expressing concerns over the law and order situation in Beed and Parbhani, Ms. Sule said solving these cases was crucial to restoring public confidence and protecting Maharashtra’s reputation. Her appeal comes amid mounting criticism from the Opposition over the State government’s handling of high-profile crimes in the region.
Published – February 27, 2025 07:48 pm IST
