Thane: Twenty days after the murder of Shiv Sena (UBT) division chief Pradeep Purnekar, the motive behind the killing and the alleged mastermind remain unclear, raising questions over the police investigation. The case has taken a fresh turn after his son, Ram Purnekar, held a press conference and levelled serious allegations against Rajendra Shinde.

Pradeep Purnekar was allegedly shot and attacked with a chopper by five assailants who entered his office in Thane’s Manpada area on September 29. The killing triggered political tension in the city.

Police arrested Subhash Shinde, alias Papya, followed by Nikhil Yadav and Nitesh Pawar on October 2. A special investigation team (SIT) was formed to probe the case.

On October 9, police arrested two more accused, Santosh Kanojia, alias Talli, and his associate Amit Singh. Despite questioning the accused in custody, investigators have yet to publicly establish the motive or identify the alleged mastermind.

Meanwhile, Ram Purnekar accused Rajendra Shinde, husband of former mayor and corporator Meenakshi Shinde, of allegedly training the accused to use firearms. He presented videos that he claimed showed Shinde training the men and handing them a gun.

Ram questioned the pace and direction of the investigation, alleging that police knew the identity of the alleged mastermind but had not acted against him. He also questioned whether the person was receiving protection from influential individuals.

Ram said, “The lawyer would present the video footage and other evidence before the court the following day.” The allegations against Rajendra Shinde remain unverified and are subject to investigation. Police findings and the court proceedings will be crucial in establishing the facts.