PUNE/MUMBAI: At a Dussehra gathering in 2024 at Bhagwanbaba Gadh, in Beed district, when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pankaja Munde stood up to introduce prominent leaders on the dais, she was interrupted by loud chants from the crowd facing her - everyone asked for Walmik Karad, who was in the audience. Pankaja, now a minister in the state cabinet, responded to the chants from the audience with a barbed remark: "Where is Walmik Karad without whom Dhananjay Munde can't function?"
The crowd cheered on, as Dhananjay Munde, her cousin, a senior NCP leader and minister, looked uneasy on the dais.
Pankaja's remark was not an exaggeration. For years, Karad has been the right-hand man of Dhananjay. His proximity to power made him a force to reckon with in Beed, but on Tuesday, Karad's fall from grace became official.
After evading authorities for weeks, he surrendered to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Pune-headquartered State Criminal Investigation Department (CID). He arrived at the CID's Pashan office in a Scorpio driven by one of his supporters. (He is known to own a fleet of swanky cars.) Minutes before this, he released a video to his supporters with a message: "I am surrendering before the police despite having the right to avail pre-arrest bail. I am ready to face any punishment if found guilty."
Karad, in his early 50s, is entangled in a web of criminal investigations, including a ₹2 crore extortion bid from Avaada Group, a renewable energy company, in Beed, which is linked to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, a sarpanch of Massajog village, on December 9. Since the murder came to light, the opposition has been demanding Dhananjay Munde's resignation.
"Santosh Deshmukh's murder case should be sent to a fast-track court, and until the verdict is out, Dhananjay Munde should step down from the cabinet," said Sandip Kshirsagar, an NCP (SP) legislator.
Denne historien er fra January 01, 2025-utgaven av Hindustan Times Thane.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 01, 2025-utgaven av Hindustan Times Thane.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
India Set To Host 2025 Fide World Cup From Oct 31
India is all set to host possibly the most important chess tournament of the year, the Fide World Cup.
EVs to reach 35% of total vehicle sales by 2030
Govt working on a second policy to promote EVs, said environment minister
The Lingering Pain of the Kashmiri Pandit Exodus
It has been more than three decades now since the unfortunate exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits began in January 1990.
China Executes 62-Year-Old Who Killed 35 in Zhuhai Car Rampage
China on Monday executed a man who killed 35 people in a car rampage in the southern city of Zhuhai in November, in the country's deadliest mass attack in years.
Don't feel the need to prove anything: Axar
Axar Patel wasn't on the flight to Australia last November.
Engaging with President Trump
India-US ties may be immune to a change of guard in Washington, but New Delhi should be prepared to respond to the challenges ahead
Guardian ministership row deepens rift in Mahayuti
BJP trying to split Sena, create parallel leadership under Uday Samant, allege top MVA leaders
Residents of sector 3 struggle with respiratory health because of cement dust pollution
Residents of more than 50 residential buildings in sector 3 of Ulwe, grappling with persistent respiratory diseases for last three years, attribute their ill health to the presence of a cement and pre-cast plant in the vicinity.
Govt Selects 24 Companies For ₹3,516-Crore White Goods PLI
The commerce ministry's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has selected 24 companies in the third round of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for white goods, with a total investment commitment of ₹3,516 crore.
Lakshya needs to find ways to get over the line: Vimal
After losing the India Open first round to Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei last week, Lakshya Sen had said that it \"just wasn't his day\".
