Under Fire Dhananjay Munde Resigns From Maha Govt After Aide Arrested In Murder Case

Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde has resigned as a minister in Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government following the arrest of his close aides in connection with a murder case.

Fadnavis has confirmed on Tuesday that he has accepted Munde's resignation and sent it to Governor CP Radhakrishnan. It comes after the minister's aide Walmik Karad was arrested for his role in the chilling murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, in December 2024.

Dhananjay Munde had held the food and civil supplies portfolio in the Maharashtra government. He is the nephew of late BJP leader Gopinath Munde and cousin of BJP National Secretary Pankaja Munde.

Dhananjay Mund, who joined the undivided NCP in 2013, sided with Ajit Pawar's faction after the party split in 2023 to join hands with the BJP. Notably, he was a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray government and served as Leader of the Opposition in the legislative council.

1,200-Page Chargesheet

On February 27, the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) filed a comprehensive 1,200-page chargesheet in a Beed district court, addressing Deshmukh's murder and two related cases. These include an attempted extortion scheme against Avaada Energy and an assault on one of the company's security guards, both registered at Kej police station.

Authorities have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused. Seven suspects have been arrested under the law, while one remains at large.

According to police, the chargesheet references a report alleging that prime suspect Rahul Karad instructed accomplices to "eliminate anyone obstructing extortion efforts" against the wind energy firm.