THANE, Nov. 30 -- A 32-year-old Shinde Sena functionary was hacked to death by unidentified assailants on the Kalyan-Murbad Road on Friday evening, in an incident that has triggered political tension in the region ahead of the upcoming municipal and civic polls. The deceased has been identified as Kiran Ghorad, a resident of Goveli village in Kalyan. According to Kalyan Rural Police, Ghorad had travelled to Mamnoli village for work and stopped for dinner at a roadside eatery. An argument reportedly broke out between him and a group of youths present there. Minutes later, a group of assailants allegedly attacked him with sharp weapons before fleeing the spot. Ghorad was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police teams reached the location soon after receiving the alert, conducted a panchnama, and registered a murder case against unidentified accused. Several of Ghorad's supporters gathered at the site through the night, heightening tension in Goveli and neighbouring villages. Additional security has been deployed to prevent any escalation. A multi-direction search operation has been launched, and a few suspects have been detained for questioning. Investigators are probing whether the killing stemmed from political rivalry, personal disputes, business-related issues, or other motives. Senior police inspector Pankaj Giri told HT, "Preliminary inquiries indicate that the assailants were known to the victim. We will be able to confirm the motive once the investigation progresses. No arrests have been made so far, and multiple teams are scanning CCTV footage from the area to identify the attackers."...