Thane: The Manpada police on Friday, August 5 arrested four jobless youths from Dombivali who dreamed of getting rich quickly through the wrong means. The accused youths, in order to fulfil their dream, kidnapped a furniture businessman from Manpada Road and demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from his relatives. They threatened to kill the businessman if the ransom was not paid.
The relatives of the businessman immediately after receiving the call for 50 Lakh ransom rushed to the Manpada police station. The Manpada senior police inspector Shekhar Bagde after hearing the incidents and understanding the seriousness of the case formed an investigation team guided by deputy commissioner of police Sachin Gunjal and assistant commissioner of police Sunil Kurade.
Shekhar Bagde, senior police inspector, at Manpada police station said, "We kept an eye on the mobile locations of the kidnappers and continued to chase them on the basis of technical information. The accused along with businessmen were travelling to Bhiwandi, Padgha, and Shahapur on the Mumbai-Nashik highway. When the accused were trying to get the demanded ransom amount of Rs 50 lakh from the nephew of the businessman, they were caught in the net of the plainclothes policemen and their dreams of getting rich and living a luxurious life are shattered. Now they will be in police custody."
The names of the identified accused are Sanjay Ramkishan Vishwakarma (39), Sandeep Gyandev Rokade (39), Dharmadaj Ambadas Kamble (36), Roshan Ganpat Sawant (40). All these are residents of Dombivli. Xylo car and four mobiles worth Rs 5 lakh 32 thousand have been seized from them.
Bagde informed, "Himmat Sheshmal Nahar (32) owns a business selling deluxe plywood furniture goods at star colony on Manpada Road. His friend Sanjay Vishwakarma came to the shop to buy plywood. He bought plywood worth Rs 3 lakh. Himmat Nahar thought he would pay as he was familiar. Sanjay told Himmat that he will withdraw the transaction money from the ATM next door. Himmat went with him. Sanjay told Himmat that the ATM there was closed and told him that he would go ahead and withdraw money from the ATM. Sanjay asked him to sit in a car as they proceeded. As soon as he sat down, the accused in the vehicle took the mobile phone from Himmat and drove the vehicle out of the city. Himmat realized that he was being kidnapped."
The police officials further said, "As the plywood shop was open and no one was there in the shop, the family started searching for the whereabouts of the Himmat Nahar. Calls from four different mobile numbers started coming on the mobile phone of Himmat's nephew Jitu Nahar at 9:30 pm on Wednesday night. The callers on the phone said to Jitu that they have to pay a ransom of 50 lakh rupees if they want Himmat back happily. Extortionists were switching down their mobile phones every time saying that they will inform where to give the money."
Jitu Nahar narrated the incident to the Manpada police. Police formed investigation teams. The police were chasing the kidnappers from mobile locations. Care was being taken to avoid danger to Himmat's life. Throughout the day, the kidnappers were calling Jitu for 50 lakhs and they were giving various locations. The police were amazed that they were constantly changing their locations. The accused told Jeetu to bring the ransom money near the tunnel near Gotheghar village at Shahapur in Thane district on the Mumbai-Nashik highway. Immediately the police dressed in plain clothes of the village and laid a trap around the tunnel.
Bagde informed, "At the appointed time, Jitu Nahar reached near the tunnel with a bag with Rs 50 lakh ransom. A Xylo car arrived there in a few moments. One man in the car signalled to Jitu and he approached the vehicle. Jitu asked the man to first leave his uncle and then he will give him the money. At that time man told us that we have kept him in a house in Gotheghar village. Jitu demanded that Himmat be released first. During this period there was an argument between Jitu and the kidnappers. As soon as Jitu was alarmed the plainclothes policemen of Manpada police station soon surrounded the Xylo vehicle. Jitu along with the police team went to the village. There, in one house, Himmat along with another person was tied to the bed with a rope. We rescued both. All four kidnappers were arrested."
Bagde said, "The accused confessed to kidnapping Himmat to get rich quickly. We have registered a case against all the accused under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 364(A) (kidnapping for ransom), 387 ( putting or attempting to put a person in fear of death or grievous hurt in order to commit extortion) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). Further investigation is underway."
