Cops arrest woman, three others for kidnapping childhood friend
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Pune: The Kondhwa police on Thursday rescued Pravin Lonkar (39), a civil contractor, from NIBM Road and arrested a woman and her husband along with two others on the charge of kidnapping.
The accused demanded a ransom of Rs 15 lakh from victim's wife on May 21.
Senior inspector Vinay Patankar of the Kondhwa police said, "The motive behind the crime was money. Sonal, the main suspect, is the childhood friend of Lonkar. She learned that Lonkar had received a huge amount of money from a deal. She then invited him at her residence for tea on NIBM Road."
Patankar said, "Sonal, her husband Atul and their accomplices Mandal and Qureshi, both car washers, kidnapped Lonkar at her place.
They threw chilli powder into his eyes, gagged his mouth with a cloth and tied his hands and legs. They then confined him. The suspects used victim's cellphone to send a text message demanding Rs 15 lakh or gold ornaments for his release."
The victim's wife approached the police. A police team led by assistant inspectors Sukeshna Jadhav and Mohsin Pathan traced the call details and location of the phone. They then rescued the contractor and arrested the kidnappers, he added.
A magisterial court ordered custodial remand of Sonal alias Sony Kapare, her husband Atul Raikar and their accomplices Robin alias Ravi Mandal and Suresh alias Qureshi until May 23.
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