Purnekar’s kin demand probe into transactions between arrested accused, former mayor’s husband

Responding to the allegations concerning her husband, former mayor Meenakshi Shinde told HT: “I don’t want to comment on this matter or the allegations. The matter is being investigated by the police, and everything will become clear after the investigation”

Thane: The family of slain Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar has demanded an investigation into alleged financial transactions over the past six months between former mayor Meenakshi Shinde’s husband, Rajendra Shinde, and one of the alleged assailants and arrested accused, Nikhil Yadav.

Pradeep Purnekar’s son Ram Purnekar (in white shirt) has alleged in a supplementary FIR that former mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband Rajendra Shinde were directly involved in his father’s murder. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

“We have information that Rajendra Shinde had hired Nikhil Yadav to kill my brother and that he had borne all expenses towards training Yadav and arranging firearms,” the deceased leader’s brother and former corporator Jainath Purnekar told Hindustan Times. “We demand that the police investigate the financial transactions between Shinde and Yadav.”

Responding to the allegations concerning her husband, Meenakshi Shinde told HT: “I don’t want to comment on this matter or the allegations. The matter is being investigated by the police, and everything will become clear after the investigation.”

As reported by HT earlier, Purkenar, a former corporator and vibhag pramukh (division head) of the Shiv Sena (UBT), was shot dead by four masked assailants inside his office in Thane on September 29, around 9.30pm. Pappya Shinde, a former aide and close friend of Purnekar who was present when the attack took place, was arrested hours after the murder, as police suspected his involvement after finding that he was unhurt despite four to five bullets being fired. Last week, Nitesh Pawar and Nikhil Yadav, who allegedly opened fire at Purnekar, were arrested from Karnala in Raigad district, taking the total arrests in the case to three.

Two other accused – one identified as Santosh Kanaujiya and another unidentified assailant, who was wearing a helmet – remain absconding.

According to Purnekar’s family, the alleged assailants had been visiting the Ganesh mandal managed by the deceased leader every day till he was shot dead and they regularly played cards there.

“We believe that the accused had been visiting the pandal and spending time there to conduct a recce before killing my brother,” said Jainath Purnekar. His elder brother had also visited Pappya Shinde’s house a day before he was shot dead and even had prasad at his residence, he said.

Meanwhile, Pappya Shinde was produced in court in Thane on Monday, when his police remand ended. His police custody was extended till October 9, after the police informed the court that he had allegedly provided an Alto car to the assailants to help them flee the city after committing the crime.

The police further informed the court that the alleged assailants had spoken to each other approximately 150 times over the phone over 10 days prior to the crime.

Advocate Sangram Shinde, representing Pappya Shinde, told HT that had his client been involved in the crime, he would not have taken Purnekar to the hospital or spent three hours there, but would have fled with the other accused.

“I requested the judge not to extend Pappya Shinde’s custody further, as whatever details or information the police required had already been obtained. I argued that the supplementary FIR filed by Ram Purnekar (Pradeep Purnekar’s son) contains allegations regarding the direct involvement of Meenakshi and Rajendra Shinde. However, the police have not yet called them to record their statements or questioned them as part of the investigation,” he said.