Nagpur: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday ordered judicial inquiry into the Parbhani violence as well as the killing of the Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. He announced this while making a joint statement in the state Assembly.

Both the incidents happened just before the winter session of the state legislature commenced here prompting noisy debates and protests. An irate opposition walked out in protest not satisfied with the action and accused the government of trying to hush up both the serious cases.

Fadnavis expressed serious concern over both the ‘unfortunate’ incidents and announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased sarpanch Deshmukh and to that of Somnath Suryavanshi, a youth activist arrested in connection with Parbhani clash who died while in police custody. A police inspector Ashok Ghorband has been suspended pending inquiry to ascertain if he used unwarranted force in the case.

Besides, in the Beed sarpanch kidnap and killing case, a special investigation team (SIT) headed by an Inspector General rank police officer will be asked to inquire into the criminal case to press highest possible charges against the culprits.

Fadnavis also ordered the transfer of Beed Superintendent of police Avinash Bargal for his lapses. The judicial inquiry in both the cases and the SIT probe will be completed in a timeframe of three to six months, Fadnavis stated.

In the December 11 incident at Parbhani in Nanded district, a group clash, arson and stone pelting was reported after a replica of the Indian Constitution kept near the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in the collectorate area was found to be damaged. Calling it a case of desecrations of the Statue book and an insult to its architect Ambedkar, angry mobs burnt some shops, vehicles and damaged property. The police swung into action and arrested at least 40 persons for violence and arson.

Denying that it was a communal clash between Hindus and Dalits, Fadnavis said: “It is wrong to limit Ambedkar to a particular caste, he belongs to all classes. Moreover, the accused who caused the act was found to be mentally unstable by a team of doctors who examined him. The person was undergoing psychiatric treatment for the last two years.

However, the death of Suryavanshi, a law student, sparked more trouble with the opposition members blaming it on the police high handedness. The chief minister firmly denied that Suryavanshi died because of police brutality and said he was already suffering from morbidities and had old injuries on his body.

The kidnap and killing of Messejog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh took police overtones as the main accused in the case Valmik Karad is known to be a close associate of NCP leader and minister Dhananjay Munde. An upright official, Deshmukh was allegedly murdered as he resisted Karad’s bid to extort Rs 2 crore from a windmill power company in the area, NCP (SP) Jitendra Awhad had alleged. Bees MLA Suresh Dhas also demanded strong action against culprits in the case who he said were involved in illegal sand mining and land grabbing in the area.

Speaking to the media on the Vidhan Bhavan premises, senior Congress MLA Nitin Raut said that the government was in denial and the Speaker did not give members a chance to raise relevant issues. He said there was camera footage showing a harsh combing operation against the protestors but the CM had denied any such police action.

Awhad said the government was protecting accused Karad in the sarpanch murder case because he was close to minister Dhananjay Munde. “With the CM’s statement, It is clear that both the cases would be closed in haste without punishing the guilty. Now we will take to the streets to demand justice,” said Awhad.