Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Atuk Kulkarni addresses the media about the case
A mechanical engineer and his lawyer wife have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a 21-year-old man from Ghatkopar in Mumbai last month. The 21-year-old was picked up from a desolate and poorly lit area near his house.
"This was a well-planned conspiracy. They kept changing locations. They even went to Uttar Pradesh to procure SIM cards. We got specific leads to sustained efforts. This was a difficult investigation", Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Atul Kulkarni said. 40-year-old Ajit Atmaram Apraj alias Saheb and his wife are the main accused.
The others arrested include Manish Satinsh Gangundre (27), Deepak Ashok Sadve (28), Avinash Anil Dethe (25), Vijay Dinkar Vadle (25), Ganesh Gunaji Koyande (38), Rakesh Sitaram Kanojia (32) and Gautam alias Abdul Bechen Gupta (30).
The man was kidnapped from outside his home on March 11. He was released on April 13 after Rs 2 crore ransom was paid by his family.
the police had laid a trap to nab the kidnappers when the ransom was paid at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali earlier this month but as soon as the bag was thrown out of the victim's family's car, two bike-borne men arrived and sped away with the money before the police could react.
When asked about the incident, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Atul Kulkarni told NDTV, "Arresting them from the spot would've endangered the victim's life. It didn't make sense to lay our hands on the kidnappers till we came to know of the victim's location."
Nearly eight hours after the crime, the youngster was released in Nashik. His kidnappers gave him Rs 2,000 to reach home. The police started looking for potential suspects after the victim returned home and was able to speak to them. The breakthrough came when the boy told the police that one of the kidnapper's wife was pregnant and had delivered a baby. The police picked up that clue and traced one of the accused.
The police say Rs 90 lakh has been recovered so far from the accused and his accomplices. Another 50 lakh is being recovered from the prime accused's wife's locker according to the police. They also say the accused have confessed to the crime.