24-Hour operation leads to breakthrough in Rs 2 crore kidnapping case

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The police swung into action after the kidnapping of Chaitanya for a ransom of Rs 2 crore. Prioritizing the child's safety over the arrest of the accused, Commissioner of Police Pravin Pawar deployed 31 senior officers and 150 personnel for the investigation.

To prevent the kidnappers from fleeing the state, alerts were sent to 8 district Superintendents of Police (SPs) and 2 Additional Directors General (ADGs) of neighboring states.

On Tuesday night, as soon as the incident was reported, the Pundaliknagar police rushed to the spot. Inspector Kundan Jadhav informed the Police Commissioner, following which Deputy Commissioners Shilwant Nandedkar and Prashant Swami, along with Assistant Commissioners Sudarshan Patil and Manoj Pagare, arrived at the scene. Later, Chaitanya’s family reached the police headquarters. Officers and staff from cybercrime, economic offenses, and crime branches, as well as CCTV monitoring teams, were immediately summoned. The primary investigation was handed over to Inspectors Sandeep Gurme, Geeta Bagwade, and Sambhaji Pawar.

At 2 AM, police traced a ransom call made by the kidnappers to Chaitanya’s father, Sunil Tupe, originating from Talegaon. Sub-inspectors Vishal Bodkhe and Sandeep Solunke were immediately dispatched. By dawn, they were searching the surrounding areas for the kidnappers.

Morning Contact with Police

While the crime branch was searching Talegaon, the kidnappers' car met with an accident in Bhokardan at around 1 AM. However, the mastermind, Harshal, remained focused on Chaitanya and quickly fled into the darkness with accomplices Jeevan, Bunty, and Krishna. Injured kidnapper Pranav was admitted to a hospital, preventing him from escaping.

Determined to Flee with Chaitanya

Despite the accident, Harshal was adamant about taking Chaitanya away. Shivraj reached a village using someone’s vehicle and later went to work operating a JCB in the morning. Jeevan, after receiving first aid, spent the night at the Jafrabad bus station. Harshal continued his escape plan, calling his brother Sanket, who helped him hide in a farm in Brahmapuri-Mangrul.

Pressure Tactics by Police

At 7 AM, Bhokardan police spotted the damaged car, which seemed suspicious. SP Ajay Kumar Bansal was informed, who then contacted CP Pawar. Following this, the Talegaon crime branch moved in on Pranav.

• As Pranav's interrogation progressed, the identity of the kidnappers was revealed. Sub-inspectors Vishal Bodkhe and Sandeep Solunke swiftly nabbed Jeevan, Shivraj, and Krishna from the village. During questioning, it was discovered that Harshal had escaped with his brother, Sanket. The police detained Sanket, but he refused to cooperate.

• Only after police staged the mock arrest of his parents did Sanket disclose Harshal’s whereabouts. Acting on this, Bodkhe and his team raided a farm and apprehended Harshal.

Outstanding Police Efforts

Bhokardan’s Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ganpat Darade, Inspectors Kiran Bidve, Sandeep Gurme, Geeta Bagwade, Cybercrime officers Kadir Deshmukh, Vinayak Shelke, Kashinath Mahandule, Vishal Bodkhe, Sandeep Solunke, Pramod Devkate, Ganesh Kedar, Arjun Kadam, Pundaliknagar’s Kundan Jadhav, Sunil Mhaske, Tembhurni’s Sachin Khamgal, Sagar Shinde, and Pawan Rajput played a crucial role in solving the case, working tirelessly for 24 hours.