Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jun 24 (PTI) A mastermind of crime always acts from behind the curtain, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said after the prosecution on Tuesday submitted evidence in a court about the alleged involvement of Walmik Karad in murdering Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
The Beed court heard Karad's application seeking discharge from the case for the want of conclusive proof against him. He had also challenged the invocation of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOC) Act against him.
"A mastermind (of crime) always acts from behind the curtain," Nikam told reporters after the court hearing.
He said the prosecution opposed Karad's application and presented the evidence before the court about his involvement in the murder. "We also opposed his application against (invocation of) MCOCA".
The next hearing is scheduled for July 7 when the court is expected to pass an order on Karad's application, he said.
Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district of Maharashtra, was abducted and murdered on December 9, 2024, after he reportedly tried to thwart an extortion bid targeting an energy company.
The CID has filed a 1200-page chargesheet in the court in Beed.
Eight persons, including Karad, have been arrested so far and booked under MCOCA.
The case generated a lot of political heat leading to the resignation of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde over his alleged links with Karad.