Karad sought to eliminate those who hindered his extortion bid, say police

Walmik Karad had allegedly asked the other accused in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case to get rid of whosoever came in the way of his bid to extort money from a wind energy company an official said on SundayThe official was quoting a report attached to a chargesheet filed in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case and two related cases in which Karad Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Mundes close aide has been mentioned as accused no 1Deshmukh was threatened several times before he was abducted and killed in December last year the official said citing the reportKarad was arrested on December 31 2024 in the extortion case related to the murder of Deshmukh the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed districtThe state Crime Investigation Department CID on February 27 filed a more than 1200 pages chargesheet at a court in Beed district in Deshmukhs murder and two related cases after questioning more than 180 personsDeshmukh was abducted tortured and murdered on December 9 last year allegedly for attempting to stop an extortion bid targeting an energy company in BeedThree separate cases murder of sarpanch bid to extort money from Avaada company and assault on security guard of the firm have been registered at Kej police station in Beed The police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act MCOCA against the accused in the casesOn December 7 2024 Karad allegedly asked another accused Sudarshan Ghule that those who come in the way of their extortion bid should be eliminated the official said citing the report attached to the chargesheetKarad along with others demanded Rs 2 crore from the Avaada company which is investing around Rs 300 crore in a power generation project in Beed the report saidAccording to the report accused Karad Vishnu Chate Sudarshan Ghule Pratik Ghule Sudhir Sangle Krushna Andhale Jayram Chate and Mahesh Kedar decided to extort Rs 2 crore from the Avaada company between December 89 2024They allegedly wanted to spread their terror in the entire area and also decided to eliminate or kill anyone who came in their way the official said quoting the reportEarlier on November 29 2024 Karad spoke to Avaada company officials for the extortion of Rs 2 crore over the phone belonging to Vishnu ChateOn the same day Sudarshan Ghule reached the company site in Massajog village and asked its officials to fulfil Karads demandKarad met Vishnu Chate Sudarshan Ghule Pratik Ghule Sudhir Sangle and Krushna Andhale at Chates office in Kej the same day to decide the way ahead over the extortion issue the report saysLater on December 6 2024 accused Sudarhshan Ghule Pratik Ghule and Sudhir Sangle went to the company site in Massajog village quarreled with its officials and asked them to stop the workSarpanch Santosh Deshmukh came there and requested the accused that Let people get employment dont shut the companys work the report saidSudarshan Ghule allegedly threatened him there saying We will see you we will not spare you the official said quoting the reportAvaada company official Shivaji Thopte met Karad at his office in Parli in the presence of Vishnu Chate on December 8 as per the reportKarad then asked Thopte for Rs 2 crore or else the company should shut its work in Beed district it saidAfter this incident Vishnu Chate kept calling Santosh Deshmukh and threatened him repeatedly the report saidEarlier on December 7 Karad allegedly told accused Sudarshan Ghule If such hurdles come in our way then no company will pay us extortion money Whosoever comes in our way should be eliminated Get going and talk to Vishnu Chate he will help you it saidAfter the murder accused Vishnu Chate destroyed his mobile phone which was an important piece of evidence in this case the report saidThe report also mentioned that Sudarhshan Ghule and the other accused were involved in organised crimesEleven cases are registered against the accused involved in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case and chargesheets have been filed in eight out of them the report saidWith inputs from PTI