Bibvewadi: Kidnappers Posing As Fake Crime Branch Officers Arrested For Demanding Rs 30 Lakh Ransom From Hospital Accountant
Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 21 April 2021: The sleuths from the detection branch (DB) of Bibvewadi police station under the Pune city police have arrested four persons, including a woman, for allegedly abducting an accountant of a hospital and demanding Rs 30 lakh as ransom.
The victim had paid them Rs 78,500 and got himself released but later lodged a complaint with the police after the accused called him again to pay the remaining amount.
According to police, at around noon on March 5, a woman wearing a scarf and two men wearing face masks went to a nursing home on Pune-Satara Road in the Bibvewadi area and met the 24-year-old accountant, who is a resident of Dhayari. The victim was called outside under the pretext of meeting relatives. Later, the accused told the victim that they were officials from the crime branch.
“We have received information that you are embezzling money from the hospital. We will take action against you and send you to jail,” the accused told the accountant.
The accountant was taken to The Break Hotel lane where their three other accomplices were already present and they beat the accountant. He was then abducted on a motorcycle and taken to a hotel in Bopdev Ghat where he was abused and beaten. They demanded Rs 30 lakh ransom from him and threatened to kill him if the amount was not paid. The victim then asked one of his a friend to transfer Rs one lakh to his account.
After his friend transferred the money, he went to Yewalewadi with the accused and withdrew Rs 65,000 from an ATM. The accused forcibly confiscated the ATM card. After which, they released him and warned him of dire consequences if he told anyone about the incident. Later, the accused withdrew Rs 17,000 in cash from the ATM using the victim’s debit card.
According to police, the accused again called him from a stolen phone and demanded the remaining ransom money after five to six days. The victim’s mental condition was not well after the incident, hence he did not lodge a complaint. After being probed by his parents, he confided in them and then filed the complaint at the police station.
Pune: Doctors, Hospital Staff Assaulted By Relatives After Patient Declared brought Dead
While investigating the case, cops learned about Amol Anil Gaikwad, a resident of Upper Bibvewadi. Gaikwad was picked up by the police. Later, the police nabbed his female accomplice as well as Kiran Prakash Salunkhe (27) of Akluj in Solapur district and Mithun Nandlal Chavan (29) of Sangola in Solapur district. The search for the remaining two accused is underway and further investigation is being carried out by Assistant Police Inspector Rajesh Usgaonkar.
The action was taken under the guidance of DCP (Zone 5) Namrata Patil, ACP (Wanwadi Division) Rajendra Galande, Senior Police Inspector Sunil Jhaware, and Police Inspector (Crime) Anita Hivarkar.
The team included API Rajesh Chandrakant Usgaonkar and police personnel Sham Lohomkar, Amit Pujari, Satish More, Tanaji Sagar, Shrikant Kulkarni, Amol Shitole, Atul Mahangade, and Rahul Kothavale.
Join our Whatsapp Group and Telegram for each update about Pune and PCMC.
