Thane: Former Thane mayor and Shiv Sena corporator Meenakshi Shinde on Tuesday approached Thane police commissioner Ashutosh Dumbare seeking additional police protection for the family of slain Shiv Sena (UBT) Manpada division chief Pradeep Purnekar and three local residents, citing an alleged conspiracy by the Opposition to implicate her and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde in the case.The move comes even as the Purnekar family has named Meenakshi as the alleged mastermind behind the murder.Meenakshi claimed she had received inputs about a series of meetings being held to implicate her and the deputy CM. “I was alerted by one of them (Opposition) about regular meetings being held to falsely implicate me and (Eknath) Shinde in some way or the other, for which they may go to any extent. A fake audio clip naming three locals was also circulated during the 2026 civic elections. We fear for their lives too and have sought additional protection for them,” she told reporters.Defending her resignation as Thane district chief of Shiv Sena’s women’s wing, Meenakshi said it was voluntary and driven by her inability to watch Eknath Shinde being repeatedly targeted.Dismissing suggestions of a personal rivalry with the Purnekars, Meenakshi said she was not even contesting against them in the same electoral panel. Instead, she pointed to alleged differences between the family and former MP Rajan Vichare, claiming he had not campaigned for Pradeep’s wife Vijeta and his brother Jaynath, who contested the civic elections.Meanwhile, the Purnekars are learnt to be considering approaching Bombay High Court after their meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday, expressing dissatisfaction over the pace of the Thane police probe.
