Minister Dhananjay Munde resigns from Devendra Fadnavis cabinet over aide's link to Beed sarpanch murder

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde resigned from the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet on Tuesday after the chief minister called for his resignation over allegations linking his close associate, Walmik Karad, to the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.

"Dhananjay Munde submitted his resignation today, which I have accepted and forwarded to the governor for further action," said Fadnavis.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray strongly criticized the state government, stating that merely resigning from a ministerial post is not a solution to the ongoing crisis. He called for the dismissal of the entire government, citing a deteriorating law and order situation in Maharashtra.

"Resignation is not the solution. This government should be dismissed. The law and order situation is terrible. No one is safe here," said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray.

After tendering his resignation as a Maharashtra minister, NCP leader Dhananjay Munde tweets,"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."

Sources revealed that on Monday night, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had discussions with Fadnavis about the implications of the Crime Investigation Department’s (CID) chargesheet. The chargesheet, which outlines the details of the murder case and two related incidents, names Karad as the primary accused.

Santosh Deshmukh's brother, Dhananjay Deshmukh, addresses the media following Dhananjay Munde's resignation as Maharashtra minister.

Munde, who served as the state’s food and civil supplies minister and represented the Parli constituency in Beed district as an NCP MLA, was also the guardian minister for Beed before the reshuffle.
Currently, Ajit Pawar oversees both Beed and Pune districts in this role.
The case centers around the abduction, torture, and murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, on December 9 last year. Investigations suggest that Deshmukh was targeted for opposing extortion attempts tied to an energy company operating in the district.
On February 27, the CID submitted a 1,200-page chargesheet to the Beed district court, which covers Deshmukh’s murder and two related incidents. The Kej police station in Beed has registered three separate cases linked to the incident—Deshmukh’s murder, an attempted extortion by Avaada Energy Company, and an assault on the company's security guard.
The authorities invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused, with seven individuals arrested under MCOCA provisions, while one suspect remains at large.
Union minister of state Ramdas Athawale, whose Republican Party of India (RPI) is an NDA ally, also stated that while Dhananjay Munde may not be directly involved in the murder, he should resign on moral grounds. Athawale, speaking in Nashik on Sunday, noted that Valmik Karad, the prime accused in the case, has close ties to Munde. Athawale also highlighted that the CID has confirmed Karad’s involvement in the murder.
Who is Dhananjay Munde?
Dhananjay Munde, 49, is a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), representing the Parli constituency in Beed. He is the nephew of late BJP veteran Gopinath Munde and the cousin of Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde.
Munde joined the NCP in 2013 and later aligned with Ajit Pawar when the party split in 2023. He had previously served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and held a ministerial position in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.