Santosh Deshmukh's Brother Withdraws Petition Against Dhananjay Munde in High Court

A petition filed by the brother of slain sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, seeking the dismissal of NCP leader Dhananjay Munde from his ministerial position, was retracted from the Bombay High Court. The petitioner, Dhananjay Deshmukh, alleged that Munde was linked to a criminal syndicate leader in Beed district, who was allegedly involved in Santosh Deshmukh's murder.

The plea, submitted last month to the Aurangabad bench of the High Court, requested Munde's removal from the cabinet to ensure an impartial investigation into the murder case. However, it was withdrawn on Tuesday because the petitioner felt uneasy with the requests made in it, according to his lawyer.

Allegations and Legal Proceedings

In addition to seeking Munde's removal, Dhananjay Deshmukh's plea also called for Walmik Karad, reportedly an associate of Munde, to be named in the FIR concerning the sarpanch's murder. Karad, who was wanted in an extortion case related to the murder, surrendered to police in Pune last week.

Police reports indicate that Santosh Deshmukh was kidnapped and murdered on December 9. The motive behind this crime was allegedly his opposition to an extortion attempt by certain individuals demanding money from a windmill company in Beed district.