Mumbai , Jan 9 (PTI) NCP (SP) working president and MP Supriya Sule on Thursday said Walmik Karad, who has been arrested in an extortion case linked to sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, must be booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted and tortured to death on December 9, allegedly in retaliation for his efforts to prevent extortion attempts against an energy firm linked to a windmill project.

Talking to reporters, Sule said extortion has to be stopped if investments have to come.

Karad, the close aide of Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, has been arrested in the extortion case and there is growing demand to book him in the sarpanch murder case.

"We don't have anything against Walmik Karad as a person, but we are against the tendency. There should be zero tolerance against crime and financial fraud," she said.

"There should be a transparent probe into the sarpanch murder case and the death of a Dalit youth in judicial custody in Parbhani," she demanded.

The NCP (SP) leader claimed that Walmik Karad was made the head of the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme in Beed's Parli. PTI MR NP

Prevention of Money Laundering demand prompts call to book aide in alleged extortion-linked murder and ensure transparent probe. Demand to initiate proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Walmik Karad arises from his arrest in an alleged extortion case connected to the abduction and torture death of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh; the demand stresses zero tolerance for crime and financial fraud, calls for a transparent probe into the sarpanch murder to deter extortion and protect investment, and seeks investigation into a related custodial death in Parbhani.