Fri Mar 07 02:48:34 UTC 2025: ## Maharashtra Minister’s Cousin Visits After Resignation Amid Murder Scandal
**Mumbai, March 7, 2025** – Maharashtra BJP Minister Pankaja Munde visited her cousin, NCP leader and former Minister Dhananjay Munde, in Mumbai on Thursday night. This follows Dhananjay Munde’s resignation from the state cabinet on March 4th after his close aide was implicated in the murder of a village sarpanch.
Dhananjay Munde, who served as the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister, stepped down following a CID chargesheet naming his aide, Walmik Karad, as the mastermind behind the brutal killing of Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district last December. Graphic videos and photos from the chargesheet depicting the violence against Deshmukh before his death fueled public outrage.
Pankaja Munde’s office stated the visit was to inquire about her cousin’s health. Dhananjay Munde recently disclosed he is battling Bell’s Palsy, a neurological disorder causing facial paralysis, and had previously undergone eye surgery.
First Piper 