One more protest in Buldhana; sarpanch kin files writ petition

Deshmukh, 45, who was murdered on Dec 9, had been at centre of disputes around windmill operations in Beed region

- Nadeem Inamdar

PUNE/BEED: The murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh has sent shockwaves through the district, triggering protests across the state. Beyond the outcry however lies an intricate and murky nexus between criminality and politics, linked to the burgeoning business of wind energy in Beed.

Deshmukh, 45, who was abducted and murdered on December 9, had reportedly been at the centre of disputes around windmill operations in the region, according to Beed police officials who were involved in the probe before it was handed over to the criminal investigation department (CID) last week.

Deshmukh's abduction-cum-murder on December 9 was attributed to his attempt to intervene in the extortion bid and convince the villagers about the importance of the project.

Police investigations into his death point to an increasingly violent scramble for control over the wind energy sector-an industry that has quietly transformed the economy of this drought-prone district.

According to local police officials, the probe suggests that 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 village.

Despite attempts, additional director general of police (CID) Prashant Burde did not respond to calls.

The police have filed a total three FIRs - Deshmukh's kidnapping-cum-murder; an assault on the firm's security guard; and an extortion bid worth ₹2 crore by local villagers from a renewable energy firm which has set up a windmill project in Massajog. The state government has transferred all three cases to the CID.

According to the third FIR, a copy of which has been seen by Hindustan Times, on December 6, four persons, including the accused Sudarshan and Pratik Ghule, went to the project site and allegedly abused and assaulted a security guard and the project manager after they were stopped from entering.