Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde resigned from his position on Tuesday after one of his close associates was named as an accused in the murder case of a sarpanch in Beed district last December.
Munde, who was in charge of the food and civil supplies department, stepped down following instructions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The decision came after his aide, Walmik Karad, was arrested for his alleged involvement in the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village.
Confirming the development, Fadnavis stated, “Dhananjay Munde has tendered his resignation today. I have accepted it and forwarded it to the Governor for further action.”
Sources revealed that Fadnavis made this decision after discussing the case with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday night. The two Mahayuti leaders reportedly deliberated on the implications of the chargesheet filed by the CID in the Deshmukh murder case, as well as two other related cases where Karad has been identified as the mastermind. Given Munde’s close association with Karad, Fadnavis asked the NCP leader to relinquish his ministerial role, sources added.
Deshmukh, 45, a three-time sarpanch of Massajog village in Parli tehsil, was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered on December 9, 2024. Reports suggest he had been opposing an extortion attempt before the crime occurred.
The Maharashtra police have charged Karad and other accused under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Additionally, the State CID has submitted a comprehensive 1,200-page chargesheet in the Deshmukh murder case and the two connected cases to a court in Beed.
Reacting to the developments, Munde reiterated his demand for stringent punishment against the accused. “Since day one, I have firmly insisted that those responsible for the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district must receive the harshest punishment. The images that surfaced yesterday deeply saddened me,” he posted on X.
Munde also cited health reasons for his resignation, mentioning that he has been unwell in recent days and has been advised to seek medical treatment. “Due to my health condition, I have submitted my resignation from the cabinet to the Hon’ble Chief Minister,” he added.
Dhananjay Munde, 49, is an MLA from Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP, representing the Parli constituency in Beed. He is the nephew of the late BJP leader Gopinath Munde and the cousin of Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde. Having joined the NCP in 2013, he aligned with Ajit Pawar after the party split in 2023. Over the years, he has served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and as a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.
