Thane, Maharashtra — A magistrate court in Thane on Thursday extended police custody of two men accused in the killing of United Bharat Tangent (UBT) activist Pradeep Purnekar by two days, after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) said it required additional time to complete interrogations and recover a remaining weapon.
Arrests, custody and evidence recovered
The two accused — Santosh Kanojia alias Talli and Amit Singh alias Paplu — have been held in police custody for 13 days, according to advocate Sameer Hatle, who is representing the Purnekar family. The SIT has recovered two choppers and a gun alleged to have been used in the attack; investigators are searching for another firearm, the probe team informed the court, sources said.
- Custody extended by two days until Saturday at the SIT's request.
- So far, five accused have been arrested in connection with the September 29 attack.
- Recovered items include two choppers and one gun; search ongoing for another weapon.
Family alleges conspiracy, points to video evidence
The Purnekar family has submitted alleged video clips to the Anti-Extortion Cell which they say show Shiv Sena functionary Rajendra Shinde instructing one of the accused to aim a rifle at a location in Pune. The family also placed before the Thane court a statement issued by the Prayagraj Special Task Force (STF), the agency that arrested the duo earlier in the probe, Hatle said.
“We have presented crucial evidence, but the masterminds are still outside the police net,” said Jaynath Purnekar, former corporator and brother of the deceased, questioning why those he considers responsible have not been arrested.
Jaynath Purnekar rejected claims by Rajendra Shinde and his wife that the videos were old and questioned the presence of the accused with Rajendra. He also criticised Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, saying the family’s pleas had gone unanswered and the deputy chief minister was acting as a "mute spectator", according to his statement to the media.
Context of the killing and probe progress
Pradeep Purnekar, described by family sources as a UBT functionary from Manpada, was shot and attacked with sharp weapons on the night of September 29. Five suspects have been arrested in the case so far, and the SIT has been carrying out detailed interrogations after the Prayagraj STF detained two of the prime accused.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Victim | Pradeep Purnekar (UBT activist, Manpada) |
| Arrests | Five accused arrested so far |
| Recovered items | Two choppers, one gun; one firearm still being sought |
| Custody status | Santosh Kanojia & Amit Singh in police custody (extended by two days) |
Investigators say they are continuing technical and forensic follow-up on the recovered weapons and reviewing the materials provided by the family. The SIT sought the custody extension to allow questioning of the two detained men and to pursue recovery of the remaining weapon.
Questions over political links and next steps
The family has voiced serious concerns that the accused had no personal enmity with Purnekar and may have been hired to carry out the killing, an allegation they say is supported by observations in the STF’s probe and at the Prayagraj court. Those documents, Hatle said, were placed before the Thane magistrate.
Rajendra Shinde was summoned for questioning for the sixth time on Thursday. The Purnekars questioned why he had not been arrested yet despite the videos and other material submitted to investigators. The SIT has not publicly commented on whether further arrests are expected.
The extended custody period will allow the SIT to complete remaining procedural steps before the accused are produced again in court. Local residents in Manpada and civic leaders are watching developments closely as the probe proceeds, anxious for a conclusive outcome and for those behind the killing to be brought to book.
Further hearings are expected over the weekend. The SIT and the Anti-Extortion Cell are continuing parallel lines of inquiry, and the family has urged police to act swiftly to identify and arrest any alleged masterminds still at large.
