Thackeray-camp Sena leader Pradeep Purnekar shot dead in Thane; two suspects detained

Pradeep Purnekar, divisional chief of the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, was murdered in the Manpada area of Thane on Monday (September 29). He was shot at and also attacked with a sharp weapon. The attack took place outside his office in Manpada.

After the attack, Purnekar was taken to Infinity Hospital in the Kapurbawdi area, but he died before treatment could begin. Police have detained two suspects, Papya Shinde and Akash Nimse, in connection with the case.

Purnekar's family has alleged that the murder stemmed from an old dispute. The family has also expressed suspicion that former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband Rajendra Shinde hatched a conspiracy to kill him. Police are looking into the allegations. The exact motive and who is behind the killing will become clear only through the investigation.

Police have obtained CCTV footage from the area after the incident. It shows two men with handkerchiefs tied over their faces riding a two-wheeler towards Purnekar's office. Police are continuing their investigation on the basis of the footage.

Purnekar's son, Ram Purnekar, has made serious allegations. He claimed that a few days ago he saw Rajendra Shinde and the people who have now been detained as suspects standing together in the Neelkanth area. Ram said they were startled as he passed by, and one of them then came up to him and asked, "Are you Pradeep Purnekar's son?" This made him suspect that something was being plotted, and he claims he had already told his father so. According to him, Pradeep Purnekar had advised him not to step out of the house after 10 pm.

Ram Purnekar said an alleged audio clip of Meenakshi Shinde had gone viral on social media earlier. He claims a threat was issued in his father's name in that clip, and that is why he suspects Meenakshi Shinde. He also said Papya Shinde was an old friend of his father and had come to the office two days before the incident and talked for a long time. He said there were not many people in the office at the time of the attack.

Ram said Papya Shinde had been claiming that he was hit by a bullet and that he had caught the attackers. Ram claimed, however, that Shinde was not injured, and questioned his role. He noted that Papya Shinde had also come to the hospital and was abusing someone there, after which police detained him as a suspect.

Purnekar's body has been kept at J.J. Hospital for a post-mortem. The family has taken the stand that it will not accept the body until all the accused are arrested. Ram Purnekar said the family will sit at the Kapurbawdi police station and decide its next step only after all the accused are arrested.

"My father worked for justice all his life. He must get justice," Ram Purnekar said, making the demand to the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister. He also said he has not yet been able to reach Uddhav Thackeray. Meanwhile, police are trying to establish the reason for the attack on the basis of CCTV footage, accounts from eyewitnesses and other evidence.