Slain Sena UBT leader’s son detained while on the way to protest at Shinde’s residence

The detention sparked protests outside the Naupada police station, where opposition leaders and supporters staged a road blockade, disrupting traffic.

The Thane police on Tuesday detained Ram Purnekar, son of slain Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar, after he attempted to march towards Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s residence in Thane to demand the arrest of former mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband, Rajendra Shinde, for their alleged involvement in his father’s murder.

Ram Purnekar, son of Pradeep Purnekar , went to protest outside the Thane residence of Deputy Chief Minister and Thane District Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde, alleging delays in the investigation into his father's murder case. (Praful Gangurde/ HT Photo)

His detention sparked protests outside the Naupada police station, where opposition leaders and Purnekar’s supporters staged a road blockade, disrupting traffic in the area.

CCTV footage triggers confrontation

The confrontation escalated late at night, when Purnekar’s supporters blocked Ghodbunder Road at Balkum around 11 pm, bringing traffic to a standstill. The protesters also set tyres on fire on the road, prompting the deployment of a heavy police bandobast to bring the situation under control.

The development comes a day after the Purnekar family released CCTV footage that they claimed showed Rajendra Shinde with three of the accused at a tea stall shortly before the September 29 murder. The Purnekars had warned of a protest outside Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde’s residence if Meenakshi and Rajendra Shinde were not arrested within 24 hours. The Purnekars have accused the couple of being the masterminds who orchestrated the entire murder conspiracy due to political rivalry.

Asked by reporters about photographs and videos showing her and her husband with murder accused Santosh Kanaujiya, Meenakshi Shinde said she lived in Manorama Nagar and that residents frequently approached her for photographs.

When questioned about a video shared by the Purnekar family that allegedly shows her husband and some of the accused holding pistols, Shinde claimed that the weapon was an air gun used to scare away birds in villages. “Even a child can tell that it is an air gun,” she said.