Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde has said she tried to meet the family of murdered sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh but was asked not to visit due to the situation in their village in Beed district.

Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted, tortured, and murdered on December 9, allegedly in retaliation for his efforts to prevent extortion attempts against an energy firm linked to a windmill project.

Walmik Karad, an associate of Maharashtra NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, Pankaja Munde's cousin, has been arrested in a related extortion case.

Talking to reporters, Pankaja Munde said, "I tried to meet the family of Santosh Deshmukh, but they refused due to the situation in their village. My visit to Massajog and expressing my feelings on the incident is my personal issue." The state environment minister said the slain sarpanch's family told her that the situation in the village was not in their hands and urged her not to visit.

"I will visit with their due permission. Justice to the family is more important than my visit," she said.

The sarpanch's family and opposition parties have been demanding Dhananjay Munde's ouster from the state cabinet over his aide Karad's alleged link in a related extortion case.