The Pradeep Purnekar murder case has reached the Bombay High Court, with the family of the slain Shiv Sena (UBT) leader seeking the transfer of the investigation to an independent agency. The petition alleges serious lapses by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and requests court monitoring to ensure a fair and impartial probe.
Purnekar was shot dead by unidentified assailants near his office in Thane on September 29. His family has repeatedly raised concerns over the progress of the investigation despite assurances from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Purnekar's son and complainant Mandar Ghodke filed the petition seeking an immediate transfer of the probe and judicial oversight.
The matter was mentioned before a bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal R Khata on Wednesday. The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for December 5.
Petition Questions SIT's Progress and Evidence Collection
The petition alleges that the SIT failed to reach concrete conclusions even after 35 days of investigation. It also seeks a show-cause notice to SIT chief and Thane Crime Branch DCP Amarsinh Jadhav over the alleged failure to act on evidence and corroborative material submitted by Ghodke.
The case was initially registered at Kapurbawdi police station before being transferred to a 23-member SIT headed by Jadhav. Senior Police Inspector Shailesh Salvi is the investigating officer, while DCP Prashant Kadam is also associated with the probe.
Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbare has maintained that the investigation is progressing in the right direction. Five people have been arrested so far.
The SIT has also questioned former Thane mayor and Shiv Sena leader Meenakshi Shinde and her husband Rajendra Shinde multiple times following allegations made by the victim's family.
The petition has questioned why suspected accused were not arrested despite the material allegedly provided to investigators. It has also sought the recording of statements made by Rajendra Shinde, who was reportedly questioned over eight days.
The family further alleged that investigators failed to recover clothes allegedly worn by the accused during the shooting. According to the petition, possible bloodstains on the clothing could have been matched with the deceased's blood samples.
Family Raises Concerns Over Mobile Phones and Digital Evidence
Another issue raised in the plea concerns the recovery of Purnekar's two mobile phones before the formal registration of the offence. The family alleged that it was not informed about the recovery and expressed concern that potentially important digital evidence could have been lost.
The petition also cited material attributed to the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). Referring to an STF press note, the family claimed that arrested accused Santosh Kanojia had admitted to conspiring in and carrying out the murder with others over a rivalry involving a block pramukh or corporator and the deceased.
The plea alleged that the SIT had not properly incorporated this material into its investigation. It also referred to information recorded before a magistrate in Prayagraj.
Petition Seeks Confidentiality for Eyewitnesses
The family has requested strict confidentiality regarding the identities of eyewitnesses and their statements until the conclusion of the trial, even if the investigation is transferred to another agency.
The petition's allegations, including those concerning evidence collection and the conduct of investigators, are yet to be examined by the Bombay High Court. The December 5 hearing is expected to bring further attention to the family's demand for an independent investigation.
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