Two more suspects held from Alibag dairy in Thane Sena functionary Pradeep Purnekar murder case

The investigation into the murder of Pradeep Purnekar, a Thackeray faction vibhag pramukh, in Thane's Manpada area has gathered pace. After Papya Shinde, the Thane Crime Branch has detained two more suspects, Nikhil Yadav and Nitesh Pawar. Police are hoping for an important lead from them.

The attack took place on Tuesday night in Manpada. Five men reportedly entered Purnekar's office and fired at him. According to the information available, he was then also attacked with a koyta, a sickle-like blade. The accused fled the spot after the attack.

After the incident, the Crime Branch intensified its search for the accused. Nine teams were formed under DCP Amarsingh Jadhav.

During the investigation, police received key information. Some women and men who had been in contact with Papya Shinde were detained from the Mira-Bhayandar area. After questioning them, police got an idea of where the accused might be hiding.

Acting on this information, police raided a dairy near Alibag on the Mumbai-Goa highway, and Nikhil Yadav and Nitesh Pawar were detained.

According to the police investigation, Nikhil Yadav is accused of shooting at Purnekar. He is said to have worked at a vada pav stall next to Purnekar's office.

Nitesh Pawar, alias Bhavadya, is accused of attacking Purnekar with the koyta. Police records show he is a habitual offender, and several cases are said to have been registered against him earlier.

The investigation has found that five main accused were directly involved in the murder. Of them, Papya Shinde, Nikhil Yadav and Nitesh Pawar are now in police custody. However, Santosh Kanojia, alias Talli, is still absconding. Another accused was wearing a helmet, so his identity has not yet been established. Police are now watching whether questioning of Nikhil Yadav and Nitesh Pawar yields any important information about the absconding accused.

Meanwhile, Purnekar's family has alleged that Meenakshi Shinde, a corporator of the Shinde Sena, and her husband Rajendra Shinde were the masterminds of the murder. These are the family's allegations and have not been separately confirmed.

Meenakshi Shinde is reportedly going to present her side at a press conference. Attention now turns to what she says on the allegations and what further leads the police investigation turns up.