Slain Beed sarpanch’s daughter excels in exam but feels no joy

Daughter of murdered Beed sarpanch excels in Class XII exams amid grief and calls for justice.

Almost five months ago, her father was brutally murdered in Maharashtra’s Beed district after being abducted. It sparked national outrage, leading to the resignation of a State Cabinet Minister. The village of Massajog turned into a protest site for months on end. Five months later, the daughter of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh secured 85.33% marks in her Class XII exams, the results of which were declared on Monday. However, Vaibhavi Deshmukh isn’t celebrating. “Where is the joy in life? My father is not there to pat my back. They have taken away our happiness. I don’t feel anything about these marks,” she told The Hindu. Ms. Vaibhavi secured 63 marks in English, 83 in Marathi, 94 in Maths, 83 in Physics, 91 in Chemistry and 98 in Biology. Asked if the marks were as per her expectations, she said she had none. “I could not focus on my studies through the last few months. I want justice for my father. There is nothing else in life now,” she said.