‘Real masterminds’: Sanjay Raut blames Eknath Shinde camp for Thane leader’s murder

Pradeep Punekar’s family linked Meenakshi Shinde, the former Thane mayor and women’s wing chief of Shiv Sena, and her husband Rajendra Shinde to the murder.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday stepped up his attack on the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra government over the murder of the party’s Thane leader Pradeep Purnekar, saying the “real masterminds” behind the killing were in the Shinde camp.

Pradeep Purnekar, a vibhagh pramukh (divisional head) of Sena (UBT), was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside his office in Thane’s Manpada area (X/rautsanjay61)

Raut also slammed the Maharashtra government, home department overseen by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, and the Thane police for failing to protect people, asking whether Thane was “not on the map of the Home Department.”

Pradeep Purnekar, a vibhagh pramukh (divisional head) of Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside his office in Thane’s Manpada area late on Tuesday.

His family linked Meenakshi Shinde, the former Thane mayor and women’s wing chief of Shiv Sena, and her husband Rajendra Shinde to the murder.

Pradeep Purnekar’s son Ram claimed that the accused had conducted a recce of the area before the murder and that he saw some of them with Rajendra Shinde shortly before the Ganpati immersion.

“I saw the four accused standing there alongside the former mayor’s husband. Two of the accused even came to my car and inspected it. A recce was conducted before my father’s murder. Two other people, besides myself, witnessed this,” Ram said.

Ram said one of the assailants had addressed him as “Pradipdada”, although he did not know the person’s name. “Perhaps the drug mafia was behind this, or it could have stemmed from a political dispute,” he said, adding that his father had previously received threats.

Meenakshi Shinde said she didn’t want to respond to the allegations.

“Let the police investigate and find out who is guilty. I will answer then. I don’t want to get into petty politics,” she said.

Thane was an undivided Shiv Sena stronghold for over 25 years and remains the home turf of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. Following the 2022 party split, most local corporators joined Shinde. However, a few key figures including former MP Rajan Vichare and Kedar Dighe, nephew of Shinde’s mentor Anand Dighe, remained loyal to party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

The rift has triggered frequent clashes between the two camps. Shortly after the split, party workers clashed when Kedar Dighe visited a ward held by Shinde supporter Yogesh Jankar. In April 2023, Thackeray faction activist Roshani Shinde was allegedly assaulted by Shinde loyalists over a social media post.