Two held in girl’s abduction bid; mastermind, aide still absconding

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Two of the four accused in the attempted kidnapping of an 11-year-old girl in Khokadpura have been arrested, but the alleged mastermind Ganesh More and his aide Baliram Mahajan alias Bhayya remain on the run. Police have launched a full-scale manhunt with three dedicated teams.

The incident took place around 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, when the girl was returning home from tuition. The four men engaged her driver Navnath Chede in conversation, forcibly dragged the girl into their car and sped off. Local residents and the driver gave chase and pelted the vehicle with stones. Caught in traffic near Shivajinagar, the kidnappers pushed the girl out and fled. Within 24 hours, police traced and arrested two accused Sandeep Pawar alias Pappu (32) and Babasaheb More (42) both residents of Ambad tehsil in Jalna. However, More and Mahajan, believed to be the main plotters, are yet to be nabbed.

Crime planned for over 15 days

Investigations revealed that the conspiracy was in the works for over two weeks. After failing to abduct a target in Pune, More planned to kidnap the granddaughter of a wealthy family from his native village, now settled in Sambhajinagar. He reportedly bought an old car and a pellet gun for the crime, with the intent to demand ₹1.5 crore in ransom.

All from the same village, yet no recognition

The victim’s family, the kidnappers, and even the driver hail from the same village in Jalna. When asked why the driver didn’t recognise them, Chede explained the accused wore black masks, making identification impossible. Senior officers credited swift arrests to technical surveillance and support from Jalna police. The hunt for the remaining two is ongoing on a war footing. “Their arrest is crucial due to the serious planning behind the crime,” said a senior official.