Pune: In a brazen case of kidnapping and extortion, the Anti-Extortion Unit of the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Crime Branch has arrested two men for kidnapping two students while posing as police officers and demanding a ransom of ₹2 crore.
The accused have been identified as Yogesh Vishwas Sawant, 34, from Rautnagar, Akluj, Solapur, and Dnyaneshwar Vilas Ghadge, 26, from Magarvasti Khandali, Taluka Malshiras, Solapur. The arrests came after a 21-year-old student lodged a complaint at the Hinjewadi Police Station.
According to the complaint, the student and his friend were traveling on a motorcycle when they were intercepted by the suspects who arrived in two cars.
The suspects forcibly pulled them into one of the cars, claiming to be police officers by showing fake IDs, and demanded a ransom of ₹2 crore.
When the ransom was not paid, the suspects assaulted the victims and forcibly took valuables including two rings weighing 5 grams worth ₹50,000, a gold chain weighing 25 grams worth Rs. 1.25 lakh, and a watch valued at Rs. 15,000. The victims were held captive overnight in Phaltan and later released on August 30 on the Pandharpur Highway.
Recognizing the severity of the crime, Police Commissioner Vinaykumar Chaube instructed the Anti-Extortion and Industrial Complaints Resolution Unit to conduct a parallel investigation.
The investigative team meticulously reviewed 70-80 CCTV footages from the vicinity of the abduction site and nearby toll plazas, which led them to Malshiras.
Acting on this information, a team led by Sub-Inspector Sunil Bhadane, with the assistance of local police, apprehended Sawant and Ghadge in Akluj. During questioning, both suspects admitted to committing the kidnapping with the assistance of other gang members.
Police have seized a Swift car and two mobile phones used in the crime, with a combined value of ₹8.4 lakh. Ghadge, one of the arrested suspects, has a prior criminal record, including a serious assault case registered against him at Velapur Police Station, Solapur.
Other members of the gang are also known to have serious charges pending against them, including attempted murder, grievous injury, and offenses under the Atrocities Act.