The gorier Parli tehsil in Beed district of Maharashtra is at the centre stage of crime stories of our times. A gruesome murder of a sarpanch of Massajog village would beat the wildest imagination of crime thriller writers. The murder has unravelled an organised crime syndicate that has allegedly boomed under political patronage.

It’s all about big money extorted from the investors of mega-infra projects and contractors who cannot get jobs without political approvals. The ring is said to be operated by a powerful person, who is allegedly considered very close to a local leader belonging to a political family. The ‘operator’ has surrendered, some accused have been arrested, and some are still at large. The alleged ‘master’ is under pressure to quit from a position in the government. Locals say whatever has come out so far is the tip of an iceberg that needs to be broken into pieces to unravel the evidence that should help punish the accused. Or else, the case will be mired in a prolonged legal battle, and the episode will soon be forgotten.