The SIT has also argued that Deshmukh was killed because he posed a threat to the accused’s extortion racket.The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Maharashtra Police, probing the Beed sarpanch murder, filed a chargesheet of approximately 1,800 pages before a Beed court on Thursday.The sarpanch of Massajog village, Santosh Deshmukh, was allegedly abducted and murdered on December 9, 2024.Investigators believe that he was targeted for trying to thwart an attempt by the accused to extort money from a windmill company in Beed.Special Public Prosecutor Balasaheb Kolhe confirmed that chargesheet has been filed in the three cases registered after the sarpanch murder.Besides an FIR over the murder, police registered a case over bid to extort money from the windmill and another one related to assaulting a security guard of the firm.“We have submitted around 1,800 pages of chargesheet against all the accused across the three cases,” a senior police official said.So far, eight persons have been arrested in connection with Deshmukh’s murder, including Walmik Karad, a close aide of NCP leader and minister Dhananjay Munde. The accused—Sudarshan Ghule, Vishnu Chate, Jayram Chate, Mahesh Kedar, Sudhir Sangle, Prateek Ghule, Siddharth Sonawane, and Karad—are currently in judicial custody.Story continues below this adMeanwhile, the ninth accused, Krishna Andhale, remains absconding. Police have stated that a supplementary chargesheet will be filed against him upon his arrest.Karad was initially named only in the extortion case, which occurred on November 29 but was registered on December 11—two days after Deshmukh’s murder.He is accused of attempting to extort Rs 2 crore from staffers of Avada Green Energy Company.Deshmukh’s murder triggered a political storm in the state, with leaders from both the Opposition and ruling alliance demanding Minister Munde’s resignation due to his alleged proximity to Karad.Story continues below this adFollowing this, the SIT was formed to investigate the case, clubbing all three FIRs and invoking the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused.In the court, police presented call detail records linking Karad to previously arrested accused Vishnu Chate and Sudarshan Ghule on the night of December 9.The SIT has also argued that Deshmukh was killed because he posed a threat to the accused’s extortion racket. © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Mumbai