Overview

• On July 22, a special MCOCA court led by Judge V H Patwadkar rejected Walmik Karad’s discharge plea in the December 2024 abduction, torture and killing of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
• The court found prima facie evidence from witness statements, video recordings, forensic analysis and digital data linking Karad to a crime syndicate that allegedly demanded a ₹2 crore ransom from Avaada Energy Private Ltd.
• Prosecution alleges Karad and co-accused filmed and livestreamed Deshmukh’s assault to spread terror and assert control over business operations in Kaij Taluka.
• Karad had claimed he was falsely implicated for political reasons and challenged the procedural sanction for MCOCA charges, but the court upheld the validity of the Act’s invocation.
• Karad remains in judicial custody as a fast-track trial moves forward on a chargesheet exceeding 1,200 pages filed under MCOCA, the SC/ST Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.