Pradeep Purnekar Murder Case: Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader's Family Moves Bombay HC, Seeks Probe Transfer To Another Agency

On November 4, 2026, the family of Pradeep Purnekar, a leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) party, filed a petition with the Bombay High Court seeking a transfer of the investigation into his murder. The family alleges that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has overlooked critical evidence and inadequately investigated the case. Mandar Ghodke, a relative and complainant, argues that critical pieces of evidence, including CCTV footage, submitted by the family were not considered by the SIT.

The petition was heard by a bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata, but the court decided not to act promptly. Instead, the petitioners were allowed to appeal to the vacation bench for relief. The family also sought complete confidentiality for the identities of witnesses, stating that revealing them could put their lives at risk.

The SIT has arrested five individuals in connection with the murder of Purnekar, a Shiv Sena (UBT) divisional chief from Thane, who was killed at his office in Manpada on September 29, 2026. These arrested individuals include Subhash alias Papya Shinde, Nikhil Yadav, Nitesh Pawar, Santosh Kanojia alias Talli, and his associate Amit Singh alias Pallu.