Thackeray faction division chief Pradeep Purnekar shot dead in Thane's Manpada
Attackers fired at Pradeep Purnekar near his office in Ganeshnagar on Tuesday night and then struck him with a sharp weapon; he died during treatment.
Pradeep Purnekar, a division chief of the Thackeray faction, was brutally murdered in the Manpada area of Thane. He was shot at near his office in Ganeshnagar on Tuesday night.
The attackers did not stop at firing. After the shooting, they also attacked him with a sharp weapon. Purnekar was seriously injured and was admitted to hospital in that condition, but he died during treatment. The attackers have been described as unknown persons.
Purnekar was the Thackeray faction's division chief for the Manpada, Manorama Nagar and Azad Nagar division. He was the brother of former corporator Jayanath Purnekar. Tension has gripped Thane after the incident, and it has caused a major stir in the city's local politics.
Police reached the spot as soon as they learnt of the attack and began an investigation. CCTV footage from the area is being examined and other angles are also being probed. The footage shows two men with handkerchiefs tied over their faces passing through the area on a bike.
Police have detained some suspects in the case. The search for the remaining accused continues. Several police teams, including the Crime Branch, have been deployed on the investigation. Police are looking into the exact reason for the attack and who the mastermind behind it is.
Purnekar's family has alleged that he was killed as part of a conspiracy. His son, Ram Purnekar, has accused Meenakshi Shinde and Rajendra Shinde of issuing threats. He also claims that Rajendra Shinde held a meeting and got all this done. These allegations have not been independently verified.
His elder brother, Jayanath Purnekar, has also claimed that a recce was being carried out before the attack. According to him, suspicious activity had begun around the time of the Ganpati festival. He has demanded that police investigate the case from every angle.
Who the attackers were and whether anyone else was behind the crime will become clear only through the police investigation. Police face the challenge of solving the case on the basis of CCTV footage, technical evidence and questioning.
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