THANE, Oct. 1 -- The murder of Pradeep Purnekar has triggered a political row, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) alleging that former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband, Rajendra Shinde, were behind the killing. The couple is associated with the rival Shiv Sena faction led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday criticised the Mahayuti government over the law-and-order situation and demanded that Meenakshi and Rajendra Shinde be named as accused in the case. Addressing the media on Wednesday, Raut questioned whether Thane was "not on the map of the home department" and whether the Thane police needed orders from Nandanvan, the official bungalow of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis holds the home portfolio. Thackeray, in a post on X, called for the perpetrators to be arrested immediately. "The murder of Pradeep Purnekar is extremely infuriating and abhorrent. It is being proved time and again that the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated. It is becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary people to live safely. The police will try to do their job, but if political parties themselves create an environment that encourages criminal activities, what can the police department do? I expect the perpetrators of this murder and the forces behind it to be arrested immediately," he wrote....