Sarpanch murder case: All 8 accused booked under MCOCA

Mumbai: The State CID has booked the seven accussed in the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). MCOCA is a stringent act meant to crack down on organised criminal gangs that gives wide ranging powers to the investigating agencies to investigate and keep behind bars for a longer duration people booked under MCOCA.

Deshmukh on December 9, was allegedly killed for opposing an extortion bid on a wind turbine company in Beed. Valmik Karad, a close aide and business partner of Maharashtra Nationalist Congress party minister Dhananjay Munde has been booked in the extortion case, while seven other accussed who are directly involved in the murder case have been booked under MCOCA. At least three of the seven murder accussed are NCP party functionaries. The Maharashtra opposition and the ruling party including MLAs from the NCP have demanded that Munde should resign till the investigation in the case is completed. BJP Ashti MLA Suresh Dhas has been raising the issue of lawlessness in Beed.