Thane (Maharashtra) [India], September 30 (ANI): The brother of slain Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar on Wednesday demanded justice and said the family would not perform his last rites until those responsible for his killing are arrested.
Speaking to ANI, Jainath Purnekar said he was informed about the shooting around five minutes after it occurred and rushed to the hospital, where doctors told the family that Pradeep had died.
“It happened at 9:32 pm. At that time we were roaming around for donation. After five minutes I got a message on phone. Someone said that there is a firing on Balu Dada. We came running. By the time we reached the hospital, the doctor told us that he is no more,” Jainath said.
Alleging that the killing was linked to political rivalry, he questioned the police administration over the identity of the attackers and the alleged mastermind behind the incident.
“This is political rivalry… Who are the killers… Who is the mastermind behind this? Police administration should reach there. Some threats… The matter shouldn’t be suppressed. We should get justice,” he said.
Jainath also appealed to political leaders, irrespective of their affiliations, to address the law-and-order situation and ensure that the investigation is not suppressed.
“The last rites will be performed when the culprits are caught. Until they are caught, we will not,” he said.
Purnekar’s childhood friend Vijay Pawar described him as a soft-spoken and helpful person who was known to people in the locality.
“He was a childhood friend. He was a sweet-spoken person, loving, and always ready to help people. Everybody in the area knew him, that’s why the area is closed today,” Pawar said.
He added that supporters would stage a protest and dharna once the accused are arrested and said they would not allow the body to be taken for the last rites until then.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called the killing unfortunate and described Purnekar as a “staunch and loyal Shiv Sainik”. He questioned the law-and-order situation in Thane and demanded action against the police administration.
Raut alleged that Purnekar had been involved in a political conflict with Meenakshi Shinde following an election defeat and had raised issues concerning the builder lobby and cluster development. He further alleged that Purnekar had complained against a drug racket.
“Purnekar was engaged in a political conflict with Meenakshi Shinde following the election defeat. He was fighting against the builder lobby and issues related to the cluster development scheme. The Shinde faction supported a drug racket, against which Purnekar had lodged complaints,” Raut said.
“He was murdered just as his voice began to reach the people. Fadnavis should be ashamed of this. A young activist has been killed; do the government and the Police Commissioner feel no shame? The Police Commissioner should be dismissed. The same police officer has been in charge for 12 years. The Police Commissioner is acting like a domestic servant for the Guardian Minister. The real culprits are members of the Shinde faction, Meenakshi Shinde, and her family. The Home Minister has no control over Thane. Thane used to be a city of litterateurs; today, it has become a city of criminals. What is the City Police Commissioner doing—waiting for orders from ‘Nandanvan’?” Raut added.
Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey also questioned the Maharashtra government over the killing and asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis whether the government was paying attention to the state’s law-and-order situation.
Purnekar was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Thane’s Manpada area on Tuesday night. Police have launched an investigation to identify the attackers and ascertain the motive behind the killing. CCTV footage is being examined and multiple police teams have been deployed. (ANI)
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