Pune: Trupti Desai Questions CM Fadnavis and NCP’s Dhananjay Munde Over Santosh Deshmukh Murder Case
Pune, 16th January 2025: Bhoomata Brigade President Trupti Desai has made serious allegations in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case, claiming key suspects were sheltered at an ashram in Nashik district. During a press conference in Pune, Desai also questioned the relationship between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Minister Dhananjay Munde, alleging that their close ties could impact the investigation.
According to Desai, Walmik Karad and Vishnu Chate, both accused in the Deshmukh murder case, allegedly stayed at the Ashram in Dindori, Nashik, on 15th and 16th December 2024. She asserted that if the ashram provided shelter to the accused, its leaders should be named as co-accused in the case.
Desai also claimed that a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team visiting the ashram in January found CCTV footage showing Karad and Chate on the premises. She questioned why this information was not disclosed and called for an investigation by the Home Minister.
The Bhumata Brigade leader further alleged that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the ashram’s leader have close ties, which could potentially hinder the investigation. She cited previous instances where the ashram’s leader reportedly mediated with former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during controversies at the ashram.
Desai criticized the relationship between CM Fadnavis and NCP Minister Dhananjay Munde, claiming that Fadnavis had often “arranged flights” for Munde’s wife Karuna to visit her parents’ home, demonstrating their close friendship. The Santosh Deshmukh murder case has been a topic of widespread discussion, with NCP leader Walmik Karad facing charges under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) of 1999 and calls for Minister Dhananjay Munde’s resignation intensifying.
