BREAKING: Man Arrested In Connection with Beed Sarpanch Murder In Mumbai

Mumbai: Police arrested three individuals, including two absconding suspects, in connection with the December 9 murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The arrests were made from Pune and Kalyan on Saturday.

Two Arrested in Beed Sarpanch Murder Case, One Accused Still at Large

The two primary suspects, Sudarshan Chandrabhan Ghule (26) and Sudhir Sangle (23), were apprehended in Pune. Meanwhile, Siddharth Sonawane, whose role emerged during the investigation, was detained in Kalyan, Thane district. Ghule and Sangle were named in the FIR for the murder, while Sonawane is suspected of tracking Deshmukh’s movements and relaying information to the accused, police sources revealed.

Ghule and Sangle have been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is spearheading the investigation. So far, seven individuals have been arrested in the case, while one suspect, Krushna Andhale, remains at large.

Earlier arrests in the case included Jairam Manik Change (21), Mahesh Sakharam Kedar (21), Prateek Ghule (24), and Vishnu Chate (45). Deshmukh was reportedly abducted, tortured, and murdered for attempting to thwart an extortion attempt targeting an energy firm operating a windmill project in Beed district. Walmik Karad, an aide to Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, has also been arrested in connection with the extortion plot.

Multiple police teams were deployed to locate the absconding suspects, with the special investigation team (SIT) utilizing technical surveillance and informants. The breakthrough came after the interrogation of Dr. Sambhaji Vaybhase from Nanded district, who allegedly aided Ghule’s escape. Vaybhase was subsequently handed over to the CID for further questioning.

The case has sparked a political controversy. BJP MLA Suresh Dhas accused authorities of targeting "pawns" while allowing "key accused" to remain free. NCP MLA Prakash Solanke called for minister Dhananjay Munde’s removal from the cabinet to ensure a fair investigation. This marks the second instance of political criticism directed at Munde over the case.

In Parbhani, an all-party march was held demanding a deeper investigation into the murder. Meanwhile, Dhananjay Deshmukh, the victim's brother, urged transparency and the identification of those who aided the suspects.