Mumbai: Leaders of all political parties organised a silent march on Saturday in Beed to denounce the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, and sought justice for his family.

The march is scheduled to begin at 10.0 am from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Chowk in Beed and will proceed to the District Collector’s office. Several prominent leaders are expected to participate in this silent protest.

BJP MLA Suresh Dhas met with Beed’s newly appointed Superintendent of Police Navneet Kawat on Friday and requested him to solve the case at the earliest. “The investigation is under the CID IG, and the police department is providing support. Personally, I am satisfied with their efforts. We hope that the ‘mastermind’ will soon be caught. I have shared all the information with the SP, including details about the movements of the suspects and where they have been spotted,” said Dhas.

Dhas has also directed his criticism at Minister Dhananjay Munde in this case. He accused a key individual, referred to as the 'mastermind,' of exerting influence over police appointments in Beed. Dhas claimed that several members of the Beed police force are closely linked to the 'mastermind,' raising concerns about the impartiality of the ongoing investigation.

Responding to the accusations, Munde stated that efforts are being made to target him politically and socially, describing it as a deliberate attempt to sideline him. On this, Dhas sarcastically remarked, “Dhanubhau, you can happily keep your Guardian Minister position to yourself. Our child has died, and we are fighting for justice for them.”

NCP (SP) MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar has urged Munde to hand over the main accused, Valmiki Karad, to the police. He further stated that the public in Beed is visibly upset over the case, and this anger will not subside until Munde resigns.