The alleged killer of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh (BJP) by the name Valmik Karad surrendered at a Pune police station on Tuesday after which he was whisked off by the police to be produced before a magistrate in Beed district.

Commenting on the development in Mumbai on Tuesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “I do not want to get into politics of this matter. I have already said that action will be taken according to the evidence that comes to light. For me, it is important that the people responsible for the murder of the late Santosh Deshmukh get punished.

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“Some people only care about politics. Their politics are profitable for them. I do not want to get into any politics. They should continue doing their politics. I don’t think their politics will benefit them much. Therefore, I don’t want to make any political statement. I don’t want to support it and I don’t want to oppose it either. The opposition should continue to do politics. However, our position is clear that Santosh Deshmukh should get justice and he will get it,” he said.

However, hours after Valmik Karad surrendered before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Pune on Tuesday, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra lashed out at the Mahayuti government, accusing it of “stage managing the surrender drama” and demanded food and civil supplies minister Dhananjay Munde’s resignation.

“The role of the police in this case is under a cloud. Last night, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Dhananjay Munde held a long meeting at Sahyadri Guest House and today Valmik Karad surrendered. What an amazing coincidence! This drama has been stage managed and the people of Maharashtra have doubts about this entire episode,” said Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Bhaskar Jadhav.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA from Beed district Sandeep Kshirsagar, met Fadnavis and said, “I have urged the chief minister to file a case under Section 302 for conspiracy to murder Santosh Deshmukh. As of now, only an extortion case has been filed against Valmik Karad in this matter. I have also urged the chief minister to ask Dhananjay Munde to resign as minister till the investigation is completed”.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA said in Thane on Tuesday that “Since the last few days I had said that Valmik Karad was going to surrender. After 22 days, Valmik Karad appears and before surrendering, he releases a video talking only about extortion. He does not talk about the murder. The officers who are involved in the current case have helped him.” Awhad also cited messages allegedly found in the mobile phone recovered from Valmik Karad.

“A case of Section 302 for murder will not be registered against Valmik Karad at all, because his godfather is in power. I have exposed the chats to show to what extent the links go,” Awhad said.

“Santosh Deshmukh belonged to the BJP, not to our party, but we are fighting for the survival of humanity. While giving a government lawyer to Santosh Deshmukh’s family, it is necessary to take his family into confidence. I request Fadnavis to investigate the murders that took place in the last two to three years and also call up their families. Only then it will be known who grabbed whose land and who killed whom,” Awhad said.

Echoing Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar’s demand, Jitendra Awhad also appealed to the people of Maharashtra not to remain silent until a case under Section 302 for murder is registered against Valmik Karad.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis continued to remain mum about documentary evidence linking his food and civil supplies minister Dhananjay Munde of the Ajit

Pawar-led NCP to Valmik Karad, the alleged killer of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, who is from the BJP.

It may be recalled that anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania had recently uploaded documents on her X handle, which linked food and civil supplies minister Dhananjay Munde, to the alleged killer Valmik Karad.

Earlier on Saturday, CM Fadnavis had ordered the Additional Director General of CID Maharashtra to immediately cancel the gun licenses of those accused in the village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case as well as confiscate their properties. He had also ordered the Beed Superintendent of Police to immediately conduct a review of all gun licenses issued in Beed so far.

The CM’s action was seen as a reaction to a series of tweets with photographs and videos uploaded by anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania on her X handle featuring the accused as well as associates of those accused in the Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case.

Fadnavis had ordered cancellation of the licenses of all those who feature on the photographs carrying guns, uploaded by anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania, if the guns are indeed real, but he failed to react to the documents uploaded by Damania to her X handle linking Dhananjay Munde to the alleged killer Valmik Karad.

Moreover, on Monday, in Beed, murdered Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh’s brother Dhananjay Deshmukh had filed writ petition in the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court demanding that political favour and political connections given to criminal activities must be investigated.

His petition also alleged that food and civil supplies minister Dhananjay Munde is responsible for this and he should be removed from the ministerial post immediately in order to ensure that political pressure is not exerted on the investigation into the kidnapping and murder case, given the close relationship between Dhananjay Munde and Valmik Karad. The petition has demanded that the investigation into this matter must be impartial.