A contractor from Pune, who had come to MIT College for landscaping design work, was kidnapped at gunpoint near the Beed bypass while stopping for a short break. Three assailants forced him into his own car, threatened him with a pistol and a knife, and assaulted him while driving towards the Daulatabad area. They looted ₹35,000 in cash, made him transfer ₹69,000 via PhonePe, and also took his gold earring. The incident occurred around midnight on June 18. Meanwhile, the crime branch has cracked the case and arrested all three accused.
The arrested suspects have been identified as:
Akshay alias Bhaiya Ramesh Wahul (24), resident of Bawangar, Satara area
Kunal Gautam Jadhav (26), resident of Ayodhya Nagar, N-7, CIDCO
Vinod Subhash Shinde (21), resident of Garampani.
According to Senior Police Inspector Sambhaji Pawar of the Crime Branch, Akshay has 11 prior cases against him, Kunal has 7, and Vinod has 1. Akshay has also been subjected to the MPDA Act three times and has once been externally banned from the city.
The kidnapping victim has been identified as Ajit Uttam Jadhav (33), resident of Chakan Road, Alandi, District Pune. In his statement, he said that he was working at MIT College and after completing his work on June 18, he went to a hotel in Shivajinagar for dinner. Later, he left to meet a friend at Jhalta Phata. Around 11:30 PM, while traveling in his car (MH 42 AX 6091), he stopped near the new Hedgewar Hospital on Beed Bypass to relieve himself. At that moment, three robbers arrived on a triple-seat motorcycle. One of them approached from behind, threatened him with a knife, and forced him into the car. One sat in the driver’s seat,
another beside him, and two sat in the back. One of the backseat robbers held a pistol to Jadhav’s head and instructed him to drive.
They snatched his two mobile phones and a bag containing ₹35,000 in cash. One of them continued assaulting him intermittently. The robbers forced Jadhav to ask his wife to send money via PhonePe. She sent ₹30,000, which they tried to withdraw from an ATM. However, only ₹4,000 could be withdrawn at the first location. They then drove to another ATM and successfully withdrew the remaining amount. After securing ₹65,000, they again forced him to ask his wife for more money. When she informed him that the transaction wasn’t going through, the robbers snatched the phone and threatened her by saying, "If you don’t send the money, he will die," and hung up.
Alarmed, Jadhav’s wife informed his father, who then sent ₹30,000 and alerted the Kranti Chowk police that Jadhav might be in danger. Police then called Jadhav’s phone, but the robbers realized something was wrong and beat him again, as stated in the complaint.
Victim Escaped When the Car Stopped
When the robbers stopped the car again to beat Jadhav, he managed to open the door and escape. He hid behind a shop in the bushes and came out later to seek help. With the assistance of a bystander, he contacted the police, who took him to the MIDC CIDCO police station, where the case was officially registered.
Same Gang Robbed Two Others on the Same Night
The same gang had also assaulted and robbed two of Jadhav's friends — Mahesh Rawsahab Narwade (34), resident of Vishrantinagar, Mukundwadi, and Sharad Vayal — on the same night. They looted two mobile phones, ₹10,000 cash, and a biometric machine. A separate case of robbery has also been registered in this matter.