The Pune rural police have arrested the car driver, Rajendra Chhagan Rajguru (32), along with his three aides — Santosh Somnath Bankar (36), Datta alias Gotu Balu Aher (34) and Sunil alias Sonu Murlidhar Magar (30).
A Pune-based doctor was allegedly kidnapped and forced to pay Rs 19 lakh as extortion by a gang linked to his own car driver, police said.
The Pune rural police have arrested the car driver, Rajendra Chhagan Rajguru (32), along with his three aides — Santosh Somnath Bankar (36), Datta alias Gotu Balu Aher (34) and Sunil alias Sonu Murlidhar Magar (30). All four are natives of Paithan in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district of Maharashtra.
According to a press release issued on Monday, the victim, Vitthal Kisan Chowdhary (58), a doctor and resident of Kunjirwadi in Haveli taluka of Pune district, was travelling from Uruli Kanchan to Kunjirwadi in his car via the Pune–Solapur highway on the night of January 10. Rajguru was driving the car.
At around 10.15 pm, another car intercepted Chowdhary’s vehicle near Inamdar Wasti. Four men alighted from the car and forcibly entered Chowdhary’s vehicle. Threatening to kill him at knifepoint, they abducted him and drove towards Shindavne village in his own car, the police said.
The accused allegedly thrashed Chowdhary and demanded money for his release. Police said the victim contacted his family members and arranged Rs 4 lakh. After receiving the amount, the kidnappers released him but demanded an additional Rs 15 lakh, threatening to kill him if the demand was not met.
Chowdhary later paid Rs 15 lakh to the accused at a location in Chaufula village near Daund on January 12. The following day, he approached the police.
After verifying the complaint, police registered a first information report (FIR) for kidnapping and extortion at the Uruli Kanchan police station on January 14 under sections 140(2), 140(3), 126(2), 127(2), 115(2), 117(2), 351(3), 308(2), 308(3) and 3(5).
Superintendent of Pune rural police Sandeep Singh Gill ordered a probe into the case. Teams from the Uruli Kanchan police station and the local crime branch (LCB) were formed to trace the accused.
During questioning, Rajguru’s behaviour raised suspicion, police said. Sustained interrogation confirmed his role in the crime, following which he was arrested on January 16. Three more accused were arrested subsequently.
A court remanded the four accused to police custody till January 20 for further investigation, said LCB police inspector Avinash Shilimkar.
Police have recovered the car used in the crime and seized Rs 7.8 lakh in cash from the accused.
“A search is on for three more persons involved in the crime. Rajguru had worked as a car driver for the victim doctor around three years ago. He had left the job and rejoined the doctor just five days before committing the offence,” said police inspector Sachin Wangade of Uruli Kanchan police station.
“Probe revealed that the car driver conspired with his aides to kidnap the doctor and extort money. Accused Sunil Magar is a history-sheeter and has been booked in three criminal cases in the past. Further probe is on,” Wangade said.
Assistant police inspector Dnyaneshwar Bajigare is investigating the case.IE)
