Raut claims Meenakshi Shinde ordered Purnekar's killing, says Eknath Shinde knew of it

Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut has made a serious claim in the murder case of Pradeep Purnekar. Speaking to the media, Raut said the contract to kill Purnekar was given by Meenakshi Shinde, a former mayor from the Shinde faction, to her husband Rajendra Shinde. According to Raut, Rajendra Shinde then passed the contract on to people lower down. He also claimed that Thane Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde is aware of it. All eyes are now on how the Shinde faction responds to these allegations.

Raut said Meenakshi Shinde and Rajendra Shinde are involved in the conspiracy to murder Purnekar and that evidence exists. He said all the accused were sitting with Rajendra Shinde an hour before the murder. Raut said Meenakshi Shinde is the main mastermind of the entire case, who gave the contract to her husband, and the husband to those below. He claimed that Thane Police and the SIT know this, Eknath Shinde knows it and everyone knows it. He asked why the police are still protecting the accused, and whom the police commissioner is protecting.

Raut said he handed over the evidence to the police commissioner yesterday. According to him, the commissioner too was convinced after seeing it. Raut said Meenakshi Shinde and Rajendra Shinde are the accused and that the police too are now sure they are the masterminds. If there is still no arrest, he said, the state has got a weak and helpless home minister. Raut claimed that the home minister will be sacrificed in this case. He said the legislature session is coming, Parliament will also begin, and there is public pressure. If no action is taken, he claimed, the police commissioner and the home minister will be sacrificed.

Targeting the Guardian Minister, Raut said an innocent political worker has been murdered and the Guardian Minister and others are trying to suppress the matter. According to him, his protest was also suppressed yesterday. Raut said they should be ashamed, that they should have looked at the evidence and joined him in the protest. He said Balasaheb's Shiv Sena was not so inhuman, and that this means you are duplicates. Raut said the police dragged Purnekar's son away even though he was going alone to the Guardian Minister's residence to submit a request and tell the truth. He warned that the Purnekar case will prove costly for the home minister and the Thane Guardian Minister down the line.

Raut said that yesterday all leaders and office-bearers, along with Aaditya Thackeray, went to meet the police. Prominent members of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena were also present, and an all-party protest was under way. He said the police commissioner is a good man but was under pressure. According to Raut, the direction of the next protest in this case will be decided. He made it clear that they had not gone to Thane as part of a political wedding procession, but to demand the arrest of the accused.