Walmik Karad seeks discharge in Beed Sarpanch murder case citing lack of evidence

Walmik Karad. File pic

Walmik Karad, one of the primary accused in the high-profile murder of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, has approached a court in Maharashtra's Beed district seeking to be discharged from the case, claiming that no prima facie evidence links him to the crime, reported PTI.

The application was filed in the context of the ongoing investigation led by the Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department (CID), which is probing into the Beed Sarpanch murder case. The Beed court, upon reviewing the plea, has directed the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to furnish its response. The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on April 24, PTI reported.

Deshmukh, who was the elected sarpanch of Massajog village, was abducted and subsequently tortured to death on December 9, 2024. The incident reportedly stemmed from his opposition to an extortion attempt directed at a private energy company. The case, which shocked the region, led to the arrest of eight individuals, including Karad, all of whom are currently facing charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

According to the prosecution, the CID recently submitted a detailed chargesheet running over 1,200 pages in the Beed Sarpanch murder case as well as two associated cases, PTI reported. During Thursday's court proceedings, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam informed the media that the defence had earlier requested access to certain documents, which were duly presented in court.

"Accused Walmik Karad has now filed an application for discharge, stating that there is no primary evidence against him," Nikam said.

He further revealed that a video purportedly showing Deshmukh being assaulted, allegedly filmed by the accused, had also been submitted to the court. The prosecution, however, requested that the video not be released to the public domain, citing potential law and order concerns.

The accused have been instructed to respond to this request on the next hearing date. Meanwhile, the prosecution has also filed a plea seeking the seizure of both movable and immovable assets belonging to Karad. The matter regarding property seizure is expected to be taken up in the subsequent sessions.

(With inputs from PTI)