A Pune doctor was allegedly kidnapped and forced to pay Rs 19 lakh as extortion by a gang linked to the driver of his own car, police said.
He Pune The rural police arrested the driver of the car, 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 traveling from Uruli Kanchan to Kunjirwadi in his car on the Pune-Solapur highway on the night of January 10. Rajguru was driving the car.
Around 10.15 pm, another car intercepted Chowdhary’s vehicle near Inamdar Wasti. Four men got out of the car and forced their way into Chowdhary’s vehicle. Threatening to kill him at knifepoint, they kidnapped him and drove towards Shindavne village in their own car, police said.
The accused allegedly beat up Chowdhary and demanded money for his release. Police said the victim contacted his relatives and got 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.
Later, Chowdhary paid Rs 15 lakh to the accused at a place in Chaufula village near Daund on January 12. The next day, he approached the police.
After verifying the complaint, the police registered a first information report (FIR) for kidnapping and extortion at 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).
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Pune Rural Police Superintendent Sandeep Singh Gill ordered an investigation into the case. Teams from Uruli Kanchan police station and local crime branch (LCB) were formed to locate the accused.
During interrogation, Rajguru’s behavior raised suspicions, police said. Prolonged interrogation confirmed his role in the crime, after which he was arrested on January 16. Three more accused were later arrested.
A court remanded the four accused in police custody till January 20 for further investigation, LCB police inspector Avinash Shilimkar said.
Police recovered the car used in the crime and seized Rs 7.8 lakh cash from the accused.
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“Three more people involved in the crime are being searched. Rajguru had worked as a car driver for the victim’s doctor about three years ago. He left the job and met the doctor just five days before committing the crime,” said police inspector Sachin Wangade of Uruli Kanchan police station.
“Investigation revealed that the driver of the car conspired with his assistants to kidnap the doctor and extort money from him. The accused Sunil Magar is a storyteller and has been accused in three criminal cases in the past. Further investigation is underway,” Wangade said.
Deputy Police Inspector Dnyaneshwar Bajigare is investigating the case.