PUNE/BEED: The murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh has exposed an intricate and murky nexus between criminality and politics in Beed, linked to the burgeoning business of wind energy which has quietly transformed the economy of the drought-prone district.
Deshmukh, 45, who was abducted and murdered on December 9, had reportedly been at the centre of disputes around windmill operations and tried to intervene in an extortion bid by local villagers on a windmill firm, said Beed police officers involved in the probe before it was handed over to the criminal investigation department (CID) last week.
According to local police officers, the murder stemmed from a brawl between Deshmukh and the four accused arrested on December 6 from the site of a windmill energy project being executed by Avaada Energy in Massajog.
The police have filed three FIRs in connection with the incidents - one for Deshmukh's kidnapping-cum-murder; one for an assault on the firm's security guard; and one for an extortion bid worth ₹2 crore by local villagers from the firm that has set up a windmill project in Massajog. The state government has transferred all three cases to the CID.
According to the third FIR, of which Hindustan Times has seen a copy, on December 6, the four persons went to the project site and allegedly abused and assaulted a security guard and the project manager after they were refused entry. The guard, who belongs to Massajog village, alerted Deshmukh as the village sarpanch. He rushed to the site along with a few villagers and the two groups engaged in a brief clash, said police.
Subsequently, the project manager of Avaada Energy lodged a complaint of assault and attempt to trespass based on which an FIR was registered.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 01, 2025-Ausgabe von Hindustan Times East UP.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 01, 2025-Ausgabe von Hindustan Times East UP.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
All eyes on Rohit, Bumrah and Shami in CT selection
Selectors are due to name India's squad for the Feb 22-March 9 ICC Champions Trophy on Saturday
Sinner Begins Title Defence vs Jarry
Jannik Sinner begins his Australian Open title defence against Nicolas Jarry while women's champion Aryna Sabalenka takes on 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens after the draw for the year's first Grand Slam was made at Melbourne Park on Thursday.
Friendship, coaching rivalry and cricket connections
Sitting in the stands of the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Craig Fulton was observing the Indian players in a training session of Hockey India League (HIL) franchise Team Gonasika.
Australia tour rubble shows domestic cricket deserves more respect
India suffered two shattering jolts – first New Zealand and now Australia – but in the gloom there is a silver lining, what teams call 'positives'.
Mercedes Bets on Smaller Cities Amid Youth Spending
Germany's Mercedes-Benz, fresh off a year of record sales in India, plans to add another 20 dealerships or service outlets in 2025—mainly in smaller cities where young, well-travelled business owners are indulging in luxury goods.
Small, mid-cap funds push MF inflows by 15% in Dec
Inflows into India's equity mutual funds rose about 15% month-on-month in December, with investors continuing their buying spree unaffected by the prospect of fewer U.S. rate cuts in 2025 and worries of likely moderation in earnings.
Beyond Snack raises $8.3 mn in Series A funding round
Snacking brand Beyond Snack has raised $8.3 million in a Series A funding round led by 12 Flags Group, a consumer-focused fund set up by Rakesh Kapoor, the former global CEO of Reckitt Benckiser.
Rupee NDF volume hits record high on arbitrage activity
RBI INTERVENTIONS IN THE NDF MARKET KEPT THE LOCAL AND NDF RATES ON PAR FOR MUCH OF 2024
Inflation Likely Eased to 5.3% in Dec: Mint Poll
India's retail inflation likely moderated to a four-month low of 5.3% in December, down from 5.5% in November, driven by the seasonal decline in food prices, according to the median estimate of 25 economists in a Mint poll.
Q-comm to drive blue-collar jobs, to create 24 lakh jobs in two yrs'
The rapid rise of quick commerce is anticipated to create a substantial increase in the need for blue-collar workers, with India projected to require 2.4 million jobs by 2027, according to job matching and hiring platform Indeed.
