THANE: One person has been arrested and four others booked for the murder of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar, who was shot by four assailants inside his office in Thane on Tuesday evening.
Pradeep’s wife, Vijeta, had contested the Thane Municipal Corporation elections in January against Meenakshi Shinde but lost to the Shiv Sena candidate by a few hundred votes. The Purnekars subsequently alleged that Shinde had won the election fraudulently. “We have arrested Papya Shinde as one of the five accused in the case. Four assailants have been identified, and several of our teams are searching for them. Papya Shinde, a close aide of Pradeep Purnekar, was present during the attack and also took Purnekar to the hospital. We are investigating his role in detail. Meanwhile, Purnekar’s family has alleged that former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband, Rajendra Shinde, both associated with the Shiv Sena, were behind his murder. The Purnekar family has alleged that Pradeep’s murder was linked to a long-running political rivalry. Pradeep’s brother, Jaynath, is also a former TMC corporator. The protest outside Kapurbawdi police station led to road blockages and severe congestion on Ghodbunder Road. Around nine teams from nearby police stations, along with traffic police personnel, were deployed to maintain law and order. Shops and other commercial establishments in Manorama Nagar remained closed in solidarity with Purnekar.
The assailants in the case are residents of the same locality,” said Dyneshwar Chavan, joint commissioner of police, Thane. The family has said it will not cremate Purnekar’s body unless the couple is booked in the case. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Kapurbawdi police station on Wednesday, demanding legal action against the couple.
