2 held in 11-year-old’s kidnap bid; 5-day police custody granted

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

In less than eight hours of a failed kidnapping bid for a Rs 1.5 crore ransom, city police arrested two suspects from Jalna and secured five-day police custody. The hunt is on for the alleged mastermind Ganesh More, a cooperative bank manager and his aide, both absconding.

The incident took place around 8 pm on Wednesday near Bharatnagar, when four men in a car attempted to abduct an 11-year-old girl returning from tuition. Alert locals intervened, forcing the accused to flee. The girl escaped unhurt. Based on CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts, police tracked two accused Sandeep Pawar alias Pappu (32, Jamkhed) and Babasaheb More (42, Vitthalwadi) to a hotel on Ambad–Pachod Road. The duo was arrested while having dinner and confessed during interrogation. The main conspirator, identified as Ganesh More, a cooperative bank manager, and his relative Baliram alias Bhaiyya Mahajan (Vitthalwadi), remain absconding.

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Mastermind tracked girl for 15 days

According to police, mastermind Ganesh More had monitored the girl’s movements for 15 days. He roped in his uncle Babasaheb, neighbour Sandeep, and relative Baliram Mahajan alias Bhaiyya by promising Rs 10 lakh each. All hail from rural Jalna and were unfamiliar with city routes. In panic, they entered a dead-end street and abandoned their vehicle, escaping on foot. A team led by PSI Pravin Wagh nabbed the duo from Lokseva hotel. “They tried to blend in, but our team moved swiftly,” said a senior officer. Ganesh allegedly targeted the girl knowing her grandfather’s land assets and visible wealth. A similar abduction plan linked to Pune has also surfaced in the probe.

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Link to earlier Pune kidnapping plot

During questioning, the accused revealed they had previously planned an abduction in Pune’s Kharadi area, which failed. They then set their sights on the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar girl as their next target. The investigation is being spearheaded by commissioner of police Pravin Pawar, with strategic involvement from DCP Prashant Swami, ACP Ratnakar Navale, PIs Sambhaji Pawar and Krishna Shinde, Shivcharan Pandhareand APIs Vinayak Shelke and Ravikant Gache. Teams from Zone-2, Cyber Cell, and Pundliknagar police are coordinating the effort, alongside officers including Sandip Shinde, Nawanath Patvadkar, Vishal Bodke, and PSI Pravin Wagh.

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Swift crackdown

“Our technical teams worked overnight to identify and arrest the accused. The operation continues to trace the mastermind,”

— Pravin Pawar, commissioner of police

Echoes of Chaitanya Tupe case

Senior officers noted similarities between this case and the high-profile abduction of Chaitanya Tupe, son of a local builder. In both incidents, accused from Jalna targeted families with land and visible wealth.

Brave Chhede Saves Girl

As the accused dragged Riya (name changed) into their car, Chhede intervened and was stabbed in the scuffle. Despite his injuries, he resisted until he was thrown out. Riya and one accused were also injured as the car sped towards Shivajinagar.

Locals, Jam Foil Abduction

Locals including Shilpa Chudiwal, Shrikant Towar Patil, Rajendra Janjal, and nearby youths chased the car, pelting stones. Chhede ran behind it. A traffic jam near Crystal Wine Shop forced the kidnappers to abandon Riya and flee.

Riya Outsmarts Accused

Showing presence of mind, Riya gave the 100 helpline number when asked for a relative’s contact and said her father was a cop. She even bit one of the abductors in resistance.

Beer, Masks, Fake Plates Found

Police found beer bottles, tobacco pouches, black masks, fake number plates, and bloodstains in the car. The vehicle had changed hands three times; the latest buyer is from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, who bought it 1.5 months ago.