Pune: The Rural Police arrested a driver and three of his accomplices for allegedly abducting his employer, an ayurveda practitioner, and extorting Rs19 lakh from him. The Uruli Kanchan police team, led by Inspector Sachin Wangde, recovered Rs7.80 lakh in cash and the vehicle used in the crime. While four suspects are in custody, three other accomplices remain at large. The arrested individuals, all residents of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, have been identified as Rajendra Rajguru (32), Santosh Bankar (36), Datta Aher (34), and Sunil Magar (30). According to the police, Rajguru, who served as the victim’s driver, was the mastermind behind the plot. “Rajguru hatched the plan to abduct the practitioner for ransom to settle his mounting debts,” Assistant police inspector Dnyaneshwar Bajgire of Uruli Kanchan police told TOI. The incident occurred on the night of Jan 10. The victim, accompanied by his female assistant and his lawyer, had gone out for dinner with Rajguru behind the wheel. After dropping the lawyer off, they were heading towards Kunjirwadi when a car intercepted them. Four men forcibly entered the victim’s vehicle, threatened the occupants with sharp weapons, and assaulted the practitioner. In a particularly violent moment, one of the attackers bit the victim’s hand. “The gang demanded Rs20 lakh for the victim’s release. Under duress, the practitioner contacted his wife, who managed to arrange an initial payment of Rs4lakh immediately,” API Bajgire said. For the next two days, the gang drove the victim and his assistant to various secluded spots around Uruli Kanchan and Shindawane. On Jan 12, the victim’s wife arranged an additional Rs15 lakh. Upon receiving the total ransom of Rs19 lakh, the kidnappers released the practitioner, his assistant, and the “driver” — who had staged his own kidnapping to avoid suspicion. The Uruli Kanchan police and the local crime branch (LCB) formed two teams to track the suspects. Investigators soon noticed inconsistencies in Rajguru’s account and discovered his links to the other suspects. “We took Rajguru into custody for questioning. Under sustained interrogation, he spilled the beans, admitting his involvement and naming his accomplices,” the officer said. Investigation revealed that Rajguru had worked for the victim two years ago before moving back to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Facing financial pressure, he returned to Pune just two days before the crime, requesting his old job back. The unsuspecting practitioner immediately re-employed him. “On the night of the crime, Rajguru was in constant communication with the other suspects, who were following the victim’s car,” Bajgire added. While the police have recovered the car belonging to the suspect Santosh Bankar, the search continues for the remaining three accomplices who are believed to be in possession of the rest of the ransom money.
