Thane, 30

Sept (HS): Shiv Sena (UBT leader and Thane’s

Manpada unit chief, Pradeep (Bala) Purnekar, was shot and stabbed to death. The

fatal attack took place on Tuesday outside Purnekar's office in Ganeshnagar.

Two bullets were reportedly fired at him by the assailants and he was rushed to

Infinity Hospital in Kapurbawdi area with serious injuries. However, he passed

away even before the surgery.

Two CCTV footages emerged in connection with the

murder. In one CCTV, gunshots can be clearly heard, while in another footage,

the injured Purnekar is seen being taken to a hospital. It has also emerged

from the CCTV that the attackers had earlier conducted a recce of Purnekar's

office. The accused first went to the ground behind the office. The two accused

then walked from the ground towards the office after getting signal from one of

them. They had covered their faces with

scarf.

Meanwhile, police have detained two suspects, Papya

Shinde and Akash Nimse, in connection with the case. CCTV also captured two men

riding a bike with covered faces moving towards Purnekar's office.

Purnekar's family has alleged that the murder took

place over an old dispute. The family has also accused former Thane mayor

Meenakshi Shinde and her husband of plotting the murder. However, there has

been no official confirmation of these allegations.

The family has taken the stand that they will not

cremate Pradeep Purnekar's body until the accused are arrested. The Thane

police are investigating the exact reason behind the attack, who else is

involved in the murder, and how the killers hatched the plot.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Ajay Vasant Mardikar