Court Remands Vishnu Chate in High-Profile Extortion Case

Vishnu Chate, linked to the extortion and murder case of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, is in judicial custody until January 18. Deshmukh was killed for opposing extortion efforts on a windmill project. Chate faces charges under MCOCA.

Vishnu Chate, key figure in the extortion linked to the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, has been remanded in judicial custody until January 18 by a court in Beed district.

The gruesome murder of Deshmukh, who served as the sarpanch of Massajog in Beed, occurred following his attempts to thwart an extortion effort targeting an energy company involved in a windmill project in the region, 380 kilometers from the district center.

In addition to facing extended custody in the extortion case, Chate is one of eight suspects implicated in the murder, with charges framed under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), police sources revealed.

(With inputs from agencies.)