Purnekar murder plot may have been hatched a month ago; two held near Alibag

The investigation into the murder of Pradip alias Balu Purnekar, a division chief of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) faction in Thane, has intensified. Police have come across some startling information. According to the police investigation, the conspiracy to kill Purnekar is suspected to have been hatched a few weeks earlier.

The probe is said to have found that before the attack, the accused were keeping watch on Purnekar's daily movements. A mock drill of how to carry out the killing was also conducted. According to police sources, the accused had gathered information on Purnekar's movements before the murder.

After the murder, the Thane Crime Branch formed nine teams to trace the accused. Police detained Papya Shinde and tried to extract information about the other accused from him. Police sources said, however, that he gave no concrete information.

Police then detained and questioned some people who had been in contact with Papya Shinde. The questioning gave police an idea of where the absconding accused could be hiding. Police then raided a milk dairy near Alibag. Nikhil Yadav and Nitesh Pawar were detained in the operation. Both were found hiding there. Police are reported to suspect that they were trying to flee towards Goa.

The investigation has also found that Nitesh Pawar alias Bhavdya has a criminal record. According to the investigation, it is alleged that Nikhil Yadav fired at Purnekar, while Nitesh Pawar attacked him with a sharp weapon.

Police suspect that vehicles for fleeing the spot after the attack had been arranged in advance. Police have seized two two-wheelers used in the case. A search is now on for the accused's movements, the supply of weapons and others behind the conspiracy to kill Purnekar.