Nagpur:
Thanks to Nagpur police, both city and rural, for their impeccable display of spontaneity and intelligent moves, perhaps a learning from the past, the sensational kidnapping trail has been tracked down in the nick of time. Chaitanya is now home, hale and hearty!
The long drawn terrifying tale of 14 year old Chaitanya Ashtankar finally ended, much to the relief of his parents along with hordes of parents in Nagpur who were keeping a soulful touch with every development in the case. All the accused, barring one have been arrested. The accused include Pradeep Ninawe, 36, resident of Kharbi Chowk on Ring Road, Prabhakar Khobragade, Ishaq Israel Sheikh, 36, Durvas Bhagwan Kohad and Tayyub Shamsher Sheikh, all residents of Khapa, Saoner. Ninawe is Chaitanya’s relative from his mother’s side. One more accused namely Mukesh has been absconding.
51-hour horrifying drama
Before reaching home safely, the past 51 hours of his life was marred by uncertainty and fear. Those hours have now become an unforgotten chapter of his life. Parents around the city waited with the baited breath, with prayers in their hearts and wishes that Chaitanya must return safe! The reason for their compelling concern was but obvious! The horrifying memories of murders of two innocent lives – Kush Katariya and Yug Chandak are pierced strongly into the deepest of their conscience.
Cops acted with precision
Soon after the kinapping, cops were clueless and only thing they had in their hand was an uncertain sketch of the kidnapper and a blurred footage of a Maruti Eeco Car from which even the registration number was not visible. Sonegaon police in association with entire police network, specially DCP Zone-I Shailesh Balkawde, DCP Zone-IV Ishu Sindhu and Rural Police SP Aarti Singh and team, DCP Crime Branch Ranjan Sharma and Cyber Cell took every move forward with high degree of precision. The team adopted 360-degree approach to crack the case.
Plan hatched six months ago
Additional Commissioner of Police Shrikant Tarwade in a press conference organised on Saturday morning informed that all the accused had been hatching the plan to kidnap Chaitanya, resident of Popular Housing Society in Manish Nagar, for the last 6 months. As per their plan they rented a room in Khapa Saoner for putting up Chaitanya after his abduction. They have been waiting for the opportunity to go ahead with their plan.
Decoding the thread
Sources informed that Chaitanya’s father Subhash Ashtankar had recently sold an agricultural land at Rs 2.5 crores and Pradeep, his wife’s kin, knew about that. He was intending to grab Rs 50 lakh. To have his way out, he made other accused his partner in crime. The accused hired Maruti Eeco (registration no. MH-40, 0613) from Khapa and returned the vehicle the same day once they brought Chaitanya to Khapa from near his residence and kept him in the room. The accused had also purchased SIM cards through fake documents. However as they got to know about the CCTV footage and sketch, some of the accused reportedly insisted on killing the child and burying the body in the jungle. However, Ninawe opposed the idea and instead called up Chaitanya’s parents to take back the case to get their child safe.
Following the Lead…
Meanwhile, cops got the list of all Maruti Eecos plying in and around the city and found that there are 1200 of them. Later, they pinpointed on hit and trial method and tracked the precedents of Chaitanya’s father to Khapa where he used to live in a rented house before moving in to his plush home in Manish Nagar. Later they laid a mid-night siege around Khapa following up on the input received from the area. The team also cordoned off the jungle near Khapa and maintained strict vigil in the dark of the night. Later they spotted a suspected 2-wheeler in the area. Upon intercepting the vehicle, they got the clue. It turned out to be one of the accused. Harsh inquiry made the accused to spill the beans, and he eventually led the cops to the room where Chaitanya was kept.
Chaitanya’s failed attempt to escape
While being hostage, Chaitanya tried to make out of the room and even escaped from the spot. But to his misfortune, the person whom he asked the address turned out to one of the accused who forced him back to the room.
Guardian Minister felicitates police team
Overwhelmed with the timely police action, Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule made it a point to felicitate the police team who toiled day and night to crack the case before its too late.
