Judicial Custody for Maharashtra Minister's Aide in High-Profile Extortion Case

A court in Maharashtra has sentenced Walmik Karad, an aide of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, to judicial custody in a Rs 2 crore extortion case linked to a murder in Beed district. Karad surrendered in Pune and faces charges under MCOCA, amid allegations of political vendetta.

In a significant development, a Maharashtra court handed down a 14-day judicial custody sentence to Walmik Karad, a close associate of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde. Karad finds himself embroiled in a high-profile Rs 2 crore extortion case related to the murder of a local sarpanch in Beed district.

The accused, having surrendered to Pune police on December 31, was transferred from Beed and presented before the Kej court on Tuesday. He faces grave charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA), following vehement demands by the victim's family.

Dhananjay Deshmukh, related to the murdered sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, led a protest in Massajog village, calling for MCOCA action. Karad, in a pre-arrest video, alleged political motives behind his implication, while the murder case remains mired in controversy over an extortion thwarted by the sarpanch.

(With inputs from agencies.)