Ranjit Kasle, a suspended police sub-inspector from Beed, has been dismissed from service after claiming he was offered a contract to eliminate Walmik Karad, a key accused in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case
Walmik Karad. File Pic
Ranjit Kasle, a suspended police sub-inspector from Beed, has been dismissed from service after claiming that he had been offered a contract to eliminate Walmik Karad, the key accused in the case of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh's murder. The dismissal was carried out by the Inspector General of Police of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Range, in accordance with Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution of India, which grants the competent authority the power to take such action.
As per PTI, the Beed police had earlier sent a proposal to higher authorities, recommending Kasle's dismissal following his controversial claims. Kasle had publicly alleged that former Maharashtra cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde and his associate Walmik Karad had attempted to bribe him to execute an encounter killing of Karad. These claims were reiterated by Kasle when he spoke to reporters at Pune airport on Thursday evening.
Kasle's statements followed the abduction and torture murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, on December 9, 2024. Deshmukh was allegedly targeted for trying to prevent an extortion attempt on an energy company. Karad is one of the eight individuals arrested in connection with Deshmukh’s murder and has been charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
While Kasle remained suspended, a preliminary enquiry (PE) was launched against him. In addition to the serious allegations he made, Kasle faces a charge under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, stemming from an objectionable comment he posted on social media on April 2.
Kasle, who had been on the run to evade arrest, posted several videos on social media in which he made sensational claims that were repeatedly dismissed by police officials. In one recent video, he expressed his willingness to surrender to authorities in connection with the case against him. Kasle was detained by police on Friday from a hotel in Beed.
During his interaction with the media in Pune on Thursday, Kasle was asked if he had evidence to support his claims. He responded that those making such offers often operate behind closed doors and take steps to ensure no trace of their actions is left behind. Kasle also claimed that he had rejected the "encounter" offer, stating that if Karad were guilty, the law should punish him. He further alleged that he had been "kidnapped" and taken to Barshi in Kolhapur and claimed that his duty schedule had been altered on polling day. Additionally, he asserted that Rs 10 lakh had been transferred into his account by a company linked to a former minister.
(With inputs from PTI)
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