Sanjay Raut alleges Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar ‘silenced’ for opposing drug mafia, builder lobby in Thane

Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut alleged that party leader Pradeep Purnekar was ldquosilencedrdquo because he had taken on the local drug mafia alleged criminal elements and the builder lobby in Thane Raut also demanded that those responsible for the killing be identified and held accountablePurnekar a local Shiv Sena UBT leader was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Thane on Tuesday night Police have launched an investigation into the killing and are examining various aspects of the caseRaut alleges Purnekar was targeted over his activismSpeaking to reporters Raut described Purnekar as a loyal Shiv Sena worker and alleged that he had consistently raised issues concerning drug networks and the builder lobbyldquoSeven rounds were fired at him He was murdered and was brutally beaten He was a very loyal person to us He had been fighting against the local drug mafia He stood up against the goons of the Shinde faction and fought against the builder lobby According to us that is why he was silencedrdquo Sanjay Raut saidRauts allegations about the motive have not been established by police The investigation is underway to determine who carried out the attack and what led to the killingRaut raises questions over FIRRaut also alleged that Purnekars son Ram witnessed and heard the incident but was not initially named in the FIR He further alleged that former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband Rajendra Shinde whom he described as the ldquomain mastermindrdquo were also not named in the FIR at the time of his remarksldquoHis son Ram witnessed and heard all of this firsthand but there is no mention of his name in the FIR The former mayor of this place Meenakshi Shinde and her husband Rajendra Shinde who we believe is the main mastermind have also not been namedrdquo he saidSubsequent reports said the names of Meenakshi Shinde and Rajendra Shinde were included in a supplementary FIR following demands from Purnekars family The allegations against them remain part of the investigationPolice investigate shooting in ThanePurnekar was attacked outside his office in the Manpada area of Thane on Tuesday night Initial reports said unidentified assailants opened fire before fleeing the scene He suffered gunshot injuries and later diedPolice have since stepped up the investigation As of October 1 reports said one person had been arrested and four others had been booked in connection with the murder The arrested accused was identified as Prakash alias Papya Shinde described by police as a former aide and close associate of PurnekarThe investigation is also examining whether there was a prior recce of the area and the possible involvement of other people in the alleged conspiracyFamily demands arrests before last ritesPurnekars family has demanded action against those responsible for his killing His brother Jainath said the last rites would be performed only after the accused were arrestedThe family had also raised allegations concerning the alleged involvement of political figures while demanding that their names be included in the police case The police have been investigating the allegations and have not established the motive publiclyRaut said Shiv Sena UBT workers had met police officials and insisted that the names they had raised be added to the FIR He said police had assured them that appropriate action would be takenFamily appeals to Maharashtra governmentEarlier Purnekars fatherinlaw Sanjay Khangde appealed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for justice He also called for steps to address concerns over crime in the areaWith inputs from ANI