Pradeep Purnekar Killing: Shiv Sena (UBT) Alleges Cover-Up by Shinde Camp

Mumbai, October 29: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday accused Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of working to shield former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde in the killing of party leader Pradeep Purnekar.

The opposition party said the police had so far taken action only against the supari killers, the hired men behind the attack. Its leaders insisted that the actual conspiracy would not surface until Meenakshi Shinde and Rajendra Shinde were arrested.

At a press conference in Thane, Thackeray said the party was demanding the immediate arrest of the main accused and the conspirator. "We cannot understand why he is being saved," he said. "When we met the police commissioner, it seemed to us that the police knew clearly who the main accused is."

After holding talks with the Thane Police Commissioner, Thackeray addressed the media with Purnekar's son Ram, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut and local Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders. Earlier in the day, he had gone to the Purnekar residence to meet the leader's widow.

He said that CCTV footage had been provided as evidence, but no arrests had been made. "What are you waiting for, and why? This is a political murder with CCTV footage available. Why is the mastermind not being arrested? Why is Eknath Shinde so desperate to protect the accused and the conspirator?"

Thackeray criticised Shinde, who is also Thane's Guardian Minister, over the detention of Ram Purnekar. He said Ram had gone to meet Shinde to seek action in his father's murder case, but was instead taken into custody.

Thackeray claimed the local MP had used abusive language and tried to scare the party delegation. Rather than facing them, he said, leaders of the Shinde group staged a protest elsewhere.

He also strongly criticised Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis for failing to secure justice for the Purnekar family. Thackeray said the Home Minister was preoccupied with breaking parties, cutting trees and selling the Sahyadri hill ranges rather than stopping such crimes.

Sanjay Raut, attacking Fadnavis, said Maharashtra had never had a Home Minister this weak. Responding to those who had challenged the party to come to Thane, he said the party was not only there but also prepared to wait for a face-off. He cautioned those in power against arrogance, saying power is not permanent. Raut said Meenakshi and Rajendra Shinde were the main accused and that people were coming out onto the streets to back the killers' protectors. He added that the police would have to arrest both of them.