Ranjit Kasle, a dismissed sub-inspector already embroiled in controversy over allegations of a contract to eliminate a key accused in a murder case, has been arrested by the Mumbai crime branch.

MUMBAI: Dismissed sub-inspector Ranjit Kasle, who earlier claimed he was offered a contract to eliminate Walmik Karad, a key accused in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh case, has landed in a fresh controversy. The city crime branch arrested Kasle on Friday from Jaitpur in Delhi on charges of spreading communal hatred, defaming public officials, and disseminating obscene content through social media.Unit 3 of the crime branch arrested Kasle and booked him under BNS sections for publishing or circulating false information/rumours, imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration, defamation, criminal actions intended to insult a woman’s modesty, and the Information Technology Act. Interestingly, Kasle is the same policeman who was dismissed from service under Article 311 last month after he made serious allegations against Dhananjay Munde, the former Maharashtra Cabinet Minister, and his close associate Walmik Karad. He also made serious allegations that he was given a contract to eliminate Karad in an encounter. Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted and tortured to death on December 9 last year, allegedly for attempting to stop an extortion bid targeting an energy company.The arrest came after Manisha Anil Tupe, a social and political activist from Bhandup, lodged a complaint with the city police alleging that Kasle had been regularly uploading controversial videos on Facebook, making serious and unverified allegations against elected representatives, including a sitting woman minister of the Maharashtra govt.In her complaint, she alleged that in a series of videos posted between May 27 and May 29, Kasle claimed that during his tenure at Marine Drive Police Station during the COVID-19 lockdown, he seized a Lamborghini allegedly carrying drugs. He further insinuated that a Maharashtra Assembly identity card found in the vehicle belonged to a minister and that the case had links to Bollywood personalities and high-profile political figures. In his videos, he promised further “exposés” involving other political leaders. He said he would be uploading the names of the people involved in follow-up videos.“Beyond defamation, the videos were laced with obscene language and inflammatory statements targeting members of the Maratha and OBC communities, raising serious concerns about incitement to communal discord. One particular video contained offensive remarks and caste-based insinuations, prompting swift legal action,” said an official.Kasle is not new to controversy. Police records show he is a repeat offender with multiple prior cases against him in Ambajogai and Shivajinagar police stations under charges including cheating, criminal breach of trust, and offenses under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.A senior official from the Crime Branch said, “The accused has been misusing social media to spread misinformation and incite hatred among communities. We are examining his entire online footprint and will take strict action as per law.”