Maharashtra: Following pressure and directive from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munder on Tuesday tendered his resignation. This move was sparked by the involvement of his close aide Walmik Karad, in the recent murder case of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Karad was sent to judicial custody earlier in January. He is named as an accused and is wanted in a 2 crore extortion case linked to the murder.
Who Is Dhananjay Munde?
Dhananjay Munde was the former Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection of Maharashtra. While he was himself not been named as an accused in the high-profile murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, his close ties with Karad, intensified calls for his resignation. Munde got elected as the NCP MLA from Parli in Maharashtra’s Beed city. He had earlier served as the Guardian Minister of Beed.
CM Fadnavis Accepts Resignation
While speaking to the media on Tuesday, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said, “Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde has tendered his resignation today. I have accepted the resignation and sent it to the Governor for further course of action.” Meanwhile, Depute CM Ajit Pawar noted that Munde stepped down on moral grounds. The decision comes amid growing demands for his resignation by the Opposition parties.
#WATCH | Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis says, "Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde has tendered his resignation today. I have accepted the resignation and sent it to the Governor for further course of action." https://t.co/S8YYzZxr7D pic.twitter.com/DpxcIUWsrZ
---Advertisement---— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2025
About Santosh Deshmukh Murder Case
Deshmukh was murdered on December 9, 2024, in Beed. According to reports, before being killed, he was allegedly abducted and tortured for trying to stop an extortion bid involving an energy company. Following the incident, Maharashtra CID registered over 1200-page chargesheet in connection with Deshmukh’s murder and two other related cases. A total of 7 people have been reportedly arrested so far while one of the accused is absconding.
