Ex-mayor Minakshi Shinde denies charges in Purnekar murder, seeks impartial probe

Former mayor Minakshi Shinde has put forth her side at a press conference in the murder case of Pradeep alias Bala Purnekar of Thane. She said the allegations being levelled against her are baseless and that an attempt is being made to defame her politically.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that police have taken Nikhil Yadav and Nitesh Pawar into custody in the case. The police investigation is still under way.

Pradeep Purnekar was murdered in the Manpada area. He was shot at and also attacked with a sharp weapon. After the incident, the Purnekar family had made serious allegations against Minakshi Shinde and her husband, Rajendra Shinde.

Responding to the allegations, Shinde rejected them outright. She acknowledged that she had ideological differences with Purnekar, but said the question of committing a murder did not arise. She also said that in her political career of about 20 years, this was the first time such an allegation had been made against her.

Shinde demanded that police conduct the investigation impartially and act only on the basis of the evidence available. She said clearly that she was ready to extend full cooperation to police for the probe.

She claimed her name was not in the initial FIR. According to her, her name and that of her husband, Rajendra Shinde, were added later during the investigation.

At the press conference she also placed another line of inquiry before police. She claimed that Purnekar's son had given police information about a young woman named Lavanya. Shinde also claimed that a few days before the murder, Purnekar and the young woman had quarrelled and the woman had issued a threat. These claims have not been independently confirmed so far. Whether the young woman has any connection to the murder will become clear only from the police investigation.

Shinde also referred to the Disha Salian case at the press conference. She raised questions about the allegations in that case, the direction of its investigation and the mention of Aaditya Thackeray's name. The claims in the Disha Salian case and the investigation into the Pradeep Purnekar murder are separate issues, and the allegations and police findings in the two cases need to be viewed separately.

Police have so far taken some suspects into custody and the investigation is continuing. All eyes are on whether questioning of Nikhil Yadav and Nitesh Pawar yields anything on the conspiracy behind the murder, the other accused and the alleged mastermind.

Shinde has clearly denied the allegations against her. The future course of the case will depend on what emerges from the police investigation, CCTV footage, call records and other evidence. For now, allegations made by the various sides cannot be treated as the outcome of the investigation.