Thane: Tensions have escalated in Thane following midnight protests, road blockades, and clashes with police stemming from Shiv Sena (UBT) Manpada division chief Pradeep Purnekar’s Sept murder. Three police personnel were injured on Wednesday as protesters allegedly pelted stones and threw glass bottles at cops forcing them to resort to lathi charge. Citing the need to prevent law and order problems, Thane police have denied permission for protests planned by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena on Thursday.Maha Vikas Aghadi had planned a protest in the presence of Aaditya Thackeray, Sanjay Raut and other alliance leaders, demanding justice for Purnekar, the arrest of former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband Rajendra, and the resignation of deputy CM Eknath Shinde as Thane’s guardian minister. Despite the denial of permission, Aaditya and Raut are expected to visit Thane on Thursday to meet the Purnekar family.The Shinde-led Sena had planned a counter-protest to respond to the Opposition’s allegations, but police denied permission for that gathering too. Shiv Sena workers have reportedly been directed to assemble at Anand Ashram in Tembhi Naka on Thursday.Twenty-nine days after the murder, Purnekar’s family expressed serious dissatisfaction with the investigation, alleging that despite providing evidence to the police, there has been no concrete progress in establishing the motive behind the killing. Purnekar’s supporters’ anger spilled onto the streets on Tuesday, when protests and road blockades at Naupada, Manpada and the Balkum-Bhiwandi stretch brought large parts of Thane to a standstill, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for hours.On Wednesday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) called Purnekar’s family to the Anti-Extortion Cell office to brief them on the progress of the investigation and the next course of action. A meeting between police and family members lasted around one-and-a-half hours. The family and Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders later alleged at a press conference that police had failed to provide satisfactory answers regarding the evidence submitted to investigators.Purnekar’s son, Ram, broke down while speaking about the investigation, claiming that he was under tremendous mental stress because of the lack of progress in his father’s murder case. He alleged that police were not proceeding in the right direction and were attempting to protect those responsible for the killing.“I sleep for barely 25 minutes a day,” Ram said, describing the toll the prolonged uncertainty had taken on his health. He also said he was under such severe distress that he sometimes felt like ending his life. Former MP Rajan Vichare consoled him and assured him that the family was not alone in its fight for justice.Purnekar’s niece, Khushbu Purnekar, also questioned the SIT’s handling of the case. She alleged that no documents were presented during Wednesday’s meeting and that the evidence handed over by the family had not been adequately investigated. According to her, whenever the family sought details about the probe, investigators referred to the arrests already made and the recovery of the weapon.Khushbu further claimed that Amit Singh, one of the accused arrested by the police, was falsely implicated. These allegations have not been independently established, and the investigation remains ongoing.The family has repeatedly demanded the arrest of former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband Rajendra, alleging their involvement in the conspiracy behind Purnekar’s murder. The allegations against the couple remain to be established through the investigation.On Monday, the family had displayed CCTV footage and photographs that they claimed showed Rajendra with three accused at a tea stall shortly before the Sept 29 murder. Ram alleged that a helmet-wearing man seen in the footage was Rajendra and claimed that the individual was wearing the same shirt on the day of the incident. The family questioned why the material had not resulted in the action it was seeking and alleged that one of the arrested accused was being used to shield others. These claims have not been independently verified.Meenakshi had appeared before the SIT at the Crime Branch office on Tuesday and was questioned for more than seven hours, according to media reports. Rajendra has also been questioned previously. Police have maintained that further action will depend on the evidence collected and the corroboration of technical findings.According to information provided about the investigation by joint commissioner (crime) Punjabrao Ugale shared with 23 SIT team members deployed on the orders of the police commissioner to collect CCTV footage, examine technical evidence and corroborate leads. Statements of Ram and Jaynath Purnekar have been recorded, while investigators are matching CCTV footage with other evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events and establish the roles of those involved.Police have seized weapons, two-wheelers and four-wheelers from accused Nitesh Pawar, Bhavdya and other accused. Investigators have also coordinated with the Special Task Force and sought airport-related information as part of efforts to prevent suspects from fleeing. An offence has also been registered at Kapurbawdi police station in connection with the case. Despite these investigative steps, the motive behind the murder and the alleged extent of the conspiracy remain to be conclusively established.The demand for the arrest of Meenakshi and Rajendra Shinde triggered widespread protests on Tuesday. The agitation initially began outside Naupada police station after police detained Ram when he attempted to march towards deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s residence to demand action in the case.Ram was brought to Naupada police station, where family members, supporters and opposition leaders gathered. They staged a road blockade demanding his release and immediate action in the murder investigation.The agitation subsequently spread to Manpada, the Balkum–Bhiwandi route and the Manorama Nagar–Azad Nagar area. Protesters blocked the busy Ghodbunder Road near Manpada junction and burnt tyres, bringing traffic to a complete standstill. Long queues of vehicles stretched across major junctions, with congestion spilling onto connecting arterial roads.The blockade turned into a nightmare for office-goers, motorists and people returning home late at night. Some commuters reportedly abandoned their vehicles and walked several kilometres to reach their destinations. Senior citizens, women and other passengers were caught in the prolonged congestion, while concerns were raised over the movement of emergency services.Videos of stationary traffic and burning tyres circulated widely on social media. One commuter, posting on social media around 2.30 am, said they had been stuck in traffic for more than two hours despite having to wake up at 6 am and travel to Goregaon for work. Another traveller returning from Mumbai airport posted footage showing traffic at a standstill in both directions and claimed that people were being forced to walk four to five kilometres to reach home.The prolonged agitation also created difficulties for the protesters, including a lack of food and toilet facilities. While the family and supporters maintained that the agitation was intended to secure justice, the blockade drew criticism over the inconvenience caused to ordinary citizens.Ram later apologised to commuters through social media, saying the family felt helpless and was fighting for justice. He appealed to citizens to understand the family’s situation and support its demand for action in the murder case.The agitation at Manpada took a violent turn in the early hours of Wednesday after protesters allegedly refused to clear the road despite repeated appeals from the police. Thane police commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre appealed to the protesters to remain calm and allow traffic movement to resume. However, as the protesters continued to block the road, police resorted to a lathi-charge at around 3 am to disperse the crowd and clear the highway.Following the action, some protesters allegedly pelted stones and threw glass bottles towards the police. Three police personnel were injured in the incident, including assistant police inspector of Chitalsar police station and a woman officer from Kapurbawdi police station. Some protesters were also reportedly injured.The confrontation created a tense atmosphere in the area. After the protesters dispersed, traffic on Ghodbunder Road gradually returned to normal by early Wednesday morning. According to sources , the blockade and resulting congestion continued for nearly seven hours, severely affecting movement on one of Thane’s busiest traffic corridors.In connection with the road blockades and the subsequent confrontation, cases have been registered against more than 250 protesters at Chitalsar and Kapurbawdi police stations.Police have appealed to protesters not to take the law into their own hands or inconvenience the public. Prohibitory orders have also been imposed to prevent further escalation and maintain law and order.
