Pune Kidnapping Case: 5 Arrested For Abducting Metro Contractor, Demanding ₹50 Lakh Ransom

Pune, April 16: Kharadi police arrested five persons for allegedly kidnapping a businessman associated with a metro project and demanding a ransom of Rs 50 lakh. The accused lured the victim on the pretext of showing him a stone crusher plant before abducting him.

Incident details

The incident took place on April 14 around noon between an Irani café in Kharadi and Perne Phata.

The arrested accused have been identified as Sagar Dattatreya Zurunge (39), Vijay Suresh Walunj (38), Raju Vijaykumar Sahane (32), Rupesh Shivaji Gawade (38), all residents of Lonikand on Pune–Ahilyanagar Road, and Prakash Balasaheb Raut (34), a resident of Tulapur in Haveli taluka.

Complaint and background

According to police, a 40-year-old businessman residing in Gahunje lodged a complaint at Kharadi police station.

The complainant, originally from Uttar Pradesh, runs a firm named Anand Sky Infotech and is involved in civil work for a metro project under Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).

He had come into contact with the prime accused, Zurunge, during July–August 2025 at the RVNL office in Akurdi. Zurunge supplied stone crusher materials to the complainant’s firm on a 45-day credit basis, and payments were made regularly. However, an outstanding amount of Rs 50 lakh was pending.

Abduction and ransom demand

On April 13, Zurunge contacted the complainant, asking for a meeting regarding civil construction work. The two met the next day at an Irani café in Kharadi. The complainant was accompanied by his driver, Santosh Vishwakarma.

Zurunge then suggested visiting a crusher plant and allegedly forced the complainant into his own Toyota Fortuner vehicle. He was taken to a location near the Kharadi toll naka, where he was made to sit inside a container along with Zurunge and his associates. There, the accused demanded Rs 50 lakh, insisting on immediate payment, and switched off the victim’s mobile phones.

More associates joined them, threatening the victim with dire consequences if the money was not paid. The accused allegedly assaulted him and forced him into a vehicle, driving towards Ranjangaon via the Pune–Ahilyanagar Road. At a construction site, the victim was shifted to another vehicle, a Ford Endeavour, and taken to an unknown location.

Police action and arrests

Meanwhile, Zurunge called the victim’s father, warning that his son would not be released until the Rs 50 lakh was paid. Upon learning about the situation from the driver, the victim’s father alerted the police.

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Acting swiftly, Kharadi police launched a search operation and set up a blockade near Vijay Stambh on Ahilyanagar Road. The vehicle carrying the victim was intercepted, and the victim informed police about the abduction. All five accused were taken into custody.

Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Chavan confirmed the arrests, and Assistant Police Inspector Ravindra Godse is leading the further investigation.

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