Navi Mumbai: In a dramatic late-night incident, a young trader was abducted at knife point near Akshar Business Park in Turbhe, only to be rescued hours later following an intensive police operation involving multiple teams across Navi Mumbai and Washim.
The victim, 27-year-old Pankesh Sanjay Patil, who runs a vegetable import-export business at Ashwar Business Park in the APMC police jurisdiction, was returning home around 8:45 PM on May 18 along with his business partner, Prashant Appasaheb Khairnar, aged 33. As the duo approached Mathadi Chowk via Sector 20, a white Swift car suddenly intercepted their motorcycle and forced it to the roadside.
According to police reports, armed assailants exited the vehicle and launched a brutal attack on Pankesh Patil using sharp iron weapons, leaving him seriously injured. When Khairnar tried to intervene, he too was beaten and threatened with death. The attackers then forcefully dragged Patil into their car and fled the scene, clearly intending to kill him.
Khairnar, who witnessed the entire ordeal, rushed to the APMC police station and filed a complaint shortly after midnight. A serious criminal case was immediately registered under multiple sections of Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), including those related to abduction, grievous assault, and criminal conspiracy.
With no information available about the assailants or their vehicle—later found to have fake registration plates—and no ransom demands or contact made by the kidnappers, the case was considered highly sensitive. On the orders of Navi Mumbai’s Police Commissioner, a total of ten investigative teams were formed, including units from the Crime Branch, Zone 1 police stations, and APMC police.
Investigators swiftly reviewed CCTV footage from the crime scene, toll booths across Navi Mumbai and Thane, and conducted a detailed technical probe. They also interviewed Patil’s business associates and office staff to piece together possible motives and leads.
The breakthrough came when the police teams tracked the accused to Washim district, nearly 500 kilometers away. Acting on intelligence gathered during the probe, they conducted a coordinated operation that led to the arrest of three individuals—Rishikesh Indrabhooshan Ingole (25), Mangesh Kishan Astarkar (23), and Sagar Narendra Manwar (25). Patil was safely rescued during the raid.
The three accused were formally arrested in the early hours of May 20 at around 2:29 AM. They are currently in custody as the investigation continues to determine the motive behind the abduction and whether others were involved.