Shiv Sena (UBT) division chief Pradeep “Bala” Purnekar was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Thane on Tuesday night, police said.

The attack took place around 9 pm near Purnekar’s office in the Manpada-Manorama Nagar area, within the jurisdiction of the Kapurbawdi police station. According to investigators, masked attackers opened fire on the leader and also assaulted him with sharp weapons. He was rushed to a hospital on Ghodbunder Road, where he died during treatment.

CCTV footage examined by investigators showed masked men near the scene before the attack, reports said. Purnekar’s body was sent to Mumbai’s JJ Hospital on Wednesday morning for a post-mortem examination.

Police have arrested one suspect, identified as Pappya Shinde, and detained another, Akash Nimse. Nine police teams have been formed by the Thane Crime Branch and local police to trace the remaining suspects.

Purnekar’s son Ram alleged that two people had threatened his father, claims the police say are unverified and part of the investigation. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey raised concerns over the law-and-order situation in Maharashtra after the killing.