Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said in Pune on Thursday that there is no truth in the allegations made against Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde, after he was asked about Munde’s resignation.
“Many people have been accused, but there is no truth in those allegations. Some resign because of allegations made. Dhananjay Munde has clearly told me that he is not even remotely involved in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case. Now three agencies are investigating the case. Injustice should not be done to those who are not guilty while they are working. Even if Ajit Pawar is guilty, action will be taken against him,” Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said.
“The Chief Minister has also said that if anyone is proven guilty in this case, immediate action will be taken against him. I have also met Devendra Fadnavis and told him that if there are any senior-level culprits working in this case, regardless of party, there is no question of sparing them. This is a murder committed in a brutal manner. We will not tolerate such incidents,” Ajit Pawar said.
When asked about allegations made against Munde by BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, Ajit Pawar said, “Suresh Dhas should provide evidence. He should think while making allegations. We will not bring politics into this matter. We will not support anyone. Ask him who ‘Badi Munni’ is. I will not talk about such trivial things. From now on, I will speak by name”.
It may be recalled that Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was murdered on December 9, 2024. Even after a month after the brutal murder, all the accused have not yet been arrested. Last week, the main accused Sudarshan Ghule and Sudhir Sangle were arrested. Sudarshan Ghule, Krishna Andhale and Sudhir Sangle had absconded after the murder. The CID had issued a press release declaring them absconders. Later, Ghule and Sangle were arrested on January 4, 2025. However, the third accused Krishna Andhale is still absconding.