Thane: Slain Shiv Sena (UBT) Manpada division chief Pradeep Purnekar’s son Ram alleged that some people tried to prevent him from meeting chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday. Claiming that he had received repeated calls until Saturday evening, Ram said he was forced to switch off his phone.Purnekar was shot at and attacked with sharp weapons at his Manpada office on the night of Sept 29. He succumbed to his injuries in hospital.After meeting Fadnavis at BJP MLC Niranjan Davkhare’s Thane residence on Sunday morning, Ram told reporters: “I apprised the CM of the situation in Thane and shared all available evidence with him. I have complete faith in the CM. I did not express any disappointment, but only conveyed my emotions…However, there were some people who did not want me to meet him. I received several calls until Saturday evening, following which I switched off my phone. You will see some developments soon.”This was Ram’s second meeting with Fadnavis. In Oct, the CM had met him at a Navratri pandal in Ghodbunder where he had assured him of complete support.Thane police chief Ashutosh Dumbare said the probe was being conducted impartially and that he had briefed Fadnavis on its progress. A 23-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted, and five accused have been arrested. They are currently in judicial custody.The Purnekars, however, have repeatedly demanded the arrest of former Thane mayor and Shiv Sena corporator Meenakshi Shinde and her husband Rajendra, alleging their involvement in the murder conspiracy.Meenakshi had appeared before the SIT last week and was questioned for more than seven hours. She resigned as Thane district chief of Shiv Sena’s women’s wing on Oct 29.Last week, tensions had escalated in Thane when Ram was detained by police during a protest demanding justice. Subsequent protests and road blockades had brought large parts of Thane to a standstill.
