Dhananjay Munde, a 49-year-old MLA from the Parli constituency in Beed and a member of Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), stepped down from the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet on Tuesday following the chief minister's request for his resignation. The decision came after allegations surfaced linking Munde's close associate, Walmik Karad, to the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Dhananjay Munde is the nephew of the late BJP leader Gopinath Munde and the cousin of Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde.

Munde became a member of the NCP in 2013 and later sided with Ajit Pawar following the party’s split in 2023. He has previously served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and was also a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.

"Dhananjay Munde submitted his resignation today, which I have accepted and forwarded to the governor for further action," stated Fadnavis.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray sharply criticised the state government, arguing that resigning from a ministerial position alone would not resolve the ongoing crisis. He demanded the removal of the entire government, pointing to the worsening law and order situation in Maharashtra.

"Resignation is not the solution. This government should be dismissed. The law and order situation is terrible. No one is safe here," Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray stated.

After resigning from his position as a Maharashtra minister, NCP leader Dhananjay Munde shared a message on Twitter. That said, "My firm demand from the very first day has been that the accused in the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh from Massajog in Beed district should receive the harshest possible punishment. Seeing the photos that came up yesterday has deeply pained my heart. The investigation of this case has been completed, and the chargesheet has been filed in the court. Additionally, a judicial inquiry has also been proposed. Recalling my sense of discernment and considering that my health has not been well for the past few days, the doctors have advised me to undergo treatment for the next few days. Therefore, for medical reasons as well, I have submitted my resignation from my ministerial position in the cabinet to the chief minister."

As per the sources, in a major political development last night, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met with NCP leader Ajit Pawar at his residence. The meeting was attended by prominent politicians, including Dhananjay Munde, Prafull Patel and Sunil Tatkare.

The primary topic of discussion was Munde’s connection to a controversial case, where one of his close associates is a key suspect in the murder of a village head. Munde has faced intense public scrutiny ever since his name surfaced in this high-profile case.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar held discussions with Fadnavis regarding the implications of the chargesheet filed by the Crime Investigation Department (CID). The chargesheet, which details a murder case along with two related incidents, identifies Karad as the main accused.

Following the resignation of Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, Santosh Deshmukh's brother, Dhananjay Deshmukh, addressed the media. Munde, the state’s food and civil supplies minister and represented the Parli constituency in Beed district as an NCP MLA, previously served as the guardian minister for Beed before a recent reshuffle. Ajit Pawar is responsible for both the Beed and Pune districts in this capacity.

The case revolves around the abduction, torture and murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, on December 9 2024. Investigators believe Deshmukh was targeted for resisting extortion attempts linked to an energy company functioning in the district.

The CID has filed a comprehensive 1,200-page chargesheet with the Beed district court detailing the murder of Deshmukh and two related incidents. The Kej police station in Beed has filed three separate cases in connection with the incident: one for Deshmukh's murder, another for attempted extortion by Avaada Energy Company, and a third for the assault on the company's security guard. The authorities have slapped the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on the accused. So far, seven people have been arrested under this law, while one suspect is still on the run. 

Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale, whose Republican Party of India (RPI) is a supporter of the NDA, stated that Munde should step down as a matter of principle, even though he might not have directly been involved in the murder. In Nashik, on Sunday, Athawale pointed out that Walmik Karad, the main accused, has strong connections to Munde, and the CID has already confirmed Karad's role in the crime.