Nagpur: In a major breakthrough, Crime Branch Unit 3 of city police nabbed three accused who had kidnapped a teenage boy by posing as ‘brothers’ of his WhatsApp ‘girlfriend’. Two of the accused were arrested from Mumbai. The kidnapping drama was enacted on February 27 and ransom of Rs 1.20 lakh was demanded from the boy’s father.
The arrested accused have been identified as Suraj Raju Krushnapurkar (26), Mateen Farooq Sheikh (21), both presently staying in Mumbai and Raj Vinod Khanke (19), resident of Godhni Road, near Petrol Pump.
According to details, the complainant Ashok Ganpatrao Deulkar (53), resident of Tukaram Nagar, Kalamna Railway Quarters, Old Kamptee Road, had told police that his son Mayur (17) is student of Class XII. As the Board exam was going on, Mayur had gone to his friend’s house near Kidwai Ground, Pachpaoli, for study. One of the accused Suraj Krushnapurkar had created a bogus Facebook and WhatsApp profile in the name of a girl named “Kajal Bavne”. Using the fake profile, the fictitious “Kajal” befriending Mayur and used to chat with him since the past week and finally decided to meet him face to face. The “girl” chatted with Mayur and invited him to meet her at Walkers Street in Civil Lines. Subsequently, Mayur went to meet her at the spot. But instead of the girl named “Kajal Bavne” the three accused, posing as “brothers” of the girl, appeared at the spot and snatched mobile phone of Mayur. The ‘brothers’ asked Mayur why he is troubling Kajal frequently by calling her on phone. Using Mayur’s mobile phone, the accused called his father Ashok Deulkar and told him that his son is in their custody and a ransom of Rs 1.20 lakh has to be paid for Mayur’s release. Taken aback by the ransom call, Ashok immediately lodged a complaint with Pachpaoli police.
The Crime Branch Unit 3 was handed over the probe. The Crime Branch sleuths, under the guidance of ACP (Crime) Dr Ashwini Patil, took Ashok into confidence and planned to give the ransom money as demanded by the accused. The cops searched the accused in Civil Lines but they changed their locations one after another and called Mayur’s father there. However, when the accused trio sensed that the cops were on their trail, they released Mayur along with his Pleasure moped around 7 pm on the same day. But the accused kept Mayur’s mobile phone with themselves and called his father from time to time and continued to demand the ransom amount.
On February 28 too, the accused had called Mayur’s father from his mobile phone and demanded the ransom. However, as they failed to get the money, two of the accused Suraj Raju Krushnapurkar and Mateen Farooq Sheikh fled to Mumbai. The cops with the help of Cyber Crime Cell tracked down the whereabouts of the two accused in Mumbai and nabbed them from Colaba and Dadar localities. The third accused Raj Vinod Khanke was rounded up from his Godhni residence in Nagpur. After gruelling interrogation, the three accused confessed involvement in kidnapping and demanding ransom.
One of the accused Suraj Raju Krushnapurkar was working as waiter in Aditi Bar and Restaurant in Badlapur of Thane district since the past two months. As he was burdened with a debt of Rs 40,000, he planned the kidnanning drama. With the help of his Chandrapur-based friend Mateen Farooq Sheikh, who worked as spot boy at Reliance Productions in Mumbai, purchased a new SIM card of Airtel 15 days ago. The accused created a Facebook and WhatsApp profile in the name of “Kajal Bavne and chatted continuously with Mayur. As planned Suraj came to Nagpur and stayed at a lodge. He continued to chat with Mayur in the name of “Kajal Bavne” as per plan. In the meantime, Suraj called Mateen Sheikh to Nagpur from Mumbai. After Mateen’s arrival in the city, the three accused kidnapped Mayur and demanded ransom of Rs 1.20 lakh from his father Ashok Deulkar. But their plan got foiled due to alert Crime Branch Unit 3 sleuths.
The case was cracked under the guidance of Commissioner of Police Dr K Venkatesham, Joint CP Shivaji Bodkhe, DCP (Detection) Sambhaji Kadam, ACP Dr Ashwini Patil, by PI Janvendra Rajput, API Dnyaneshwar Bhedodkar, and other staff.
