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Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday expelled a leader from Beed district who was arrested for allegedly being involved in the kidnapping and murder of a village sarpanch, an incident that sparked unrest in the Maratha community in politics sensitive region of Marathwada.

The arrest of NCP chief Vishnu Chate in Beed’s Kej tehsil has also led to the case being politicized. Local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Ashti constituency Suresh Dhas has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to find out the mastermind behind the kidnapping and murder. Earlier this week, Beed MP Bajrang Sonawane met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The BJP and the NCP are part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Santosh Deshmukh, a Maratha sarpanch from Massajog village in Kej tehsil, was kidnapped and killed on December 9 for allegedly resisting an extortion attempt ₹2 crore from a wind farm in the area. Photos of Deshmukh’s dead body went viral on social media spreading anger among the Maratha community as he was allegedly tortured and then brutally murdered. A bandh was observed in Beed district on Friday to protest against the killing.

The case is socio-politically sensitive as three of the accused, including Chate, belong to the Vanjari community, which falls under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Marathas and OBCs are at loggerheads over reservation quota in the state. During the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections earlier this year, when the Marathas stepped up their demand for reservation under the OBC quota, tension arose between them and Vanjaris in Beed.

Chate and another suspect, Sudarshan Ghule, were arrested on charges of kidnapping and murder. Meanwhile, Walmik Karad, a close aide of NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, has been named one of the accused in the extortion case. Karad was previously party leader of the NCP in the Parali municipal council.

Munde, on his part, has demanded that the case be transferred to a fast-track court. “The murder of Santosh Deshmukh is very unfortunate. Such a crime is dangerous to society and the criminals must be brought to justice. The case should be tried in a fast-track court so that those involved receive strict punishment,” he said.

Munde also condemned the politicization of the incident. “Criminals have no caste; they are just criminals. No one should use the incident to create a rift between two communities. It is unfortunate that some people are trying to politicize the incident,” he said.

Earlier, on December 10, BJP MLA Dhas wrote a letter to Fadnavis, demanding an SIT probe. “Santosh Deshmukh was a popular sarpanch of Massajog. The gangs involved in extortion of windmill companies kidnapped and brutally murdered him. At first glance, the police did not take action in time. Therefore, I request you to form a special investigation team to probe the murder and find out the mastermind behind the incident and ensure that strict action is taken against him,” Dhas wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister.