No link between woman found dead in Dharashiv and sarpanch murder case Police

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Mar 31 (PTI) A woman found dead in Maharashtra's Dharashiv district was no way connected to the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case in adjoining Beed district, police said on Monday.
The Dharashiv police's assertion came after anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania claimed that the woman was roped in to frame Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, in a false case, and that she has been murdered.
A senior official from the Dharashiv police said the woman was found dead in her home in Dwarka Nagar locality of Kalamb town nearly a week ago.
The incident came to light when neighbours called police on noticing a foul smell emanating from her house.
Initially, an accidental death case was registered, but police suspect the woman was murdered, said the official.
"Primarily a head injury was seen. We need to wait for further reports. We have taken into custody two men who worked with her for questioning. It seems she was murdered over illicit relation and money," he said.
Asked by reporters about any link between the woman's death and the Deshmukh murder case, the official insisted no connection has emerged in the investigation carried out so far.
"As per our investigation, no connection has emerged between the Santosh Deshmukh murder case and the death of this woman. But we are still investigating the case. The incident occurred nearly seven days ago, but the Beed police have not contacted us so far," the official said.
"We are registering an offence and police teams will be sent to locate others wanted in the case," he added.
Activist Damania, in a post on social network X, claimed the woman was roped in to frame Deshmukh in a case of for committing immoral acts, and was questioned by police after the sarpanch was murdered in December last year.
The house where she stayed was locked from outside, the activist stated.
"After the police and local residents broke the lock and went inside, they found the decomposed body of the woman. A post-mortem examination was conducted at the same place and last rites were conducted the same day," the activist maintained.
Damania claimed the woman was used for honey trapping and operated under different names.
Deshmukh was abducted and tortured to death on December 9 last year allegedly for attempting to stop an extortion bid targeting an energy company.

Eight persons, including Walmik Karad, an aide of NCP leader and former state minister Dhananjay Munde, have been arrested so far and booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the sarpanch murder case.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)