Cops nab businessman's three abductors within 12 hours, recover Rs 1.47 crore in Pune

PUNE: Three gang members were arrested and Rs1.47 crore were recovered from them on Friday morning, barely 12 hours after they executed the abduction of a 65-year-old businessman from the Market Yard area late on Thursday night.


Police identified the arrested suspects as Sujit Gujar (24), Omkar Valhekar (20) and Amit Jagtap, all from Uruli Devachi.

A high-end SUV and a motorcycle, allegedly used in the crime, were also recovered from them.

The gang leader, Ajay Sable from Wadkinala on Saswad Road, is absconding. The police have launched a hunt for him.

The abducted businessman, Kantilal Ganatra, is a resident of City Park Society in Market Yard. He is a wholesale trader of gunny bags. Ganatra's son, Mahesh, had paid Rs1.5 crore to the abductors at Chandni Chowk around 5.15am on Friday to secure his father's release. The abductors had demanded Rs2 crore for Ganatra's safe return.

Additional commissioner of police Ashok Morale told TOI that the abductors released Ganatra at Shindewadi near Khed-Shivapur along the Pune-Bengaluru NH-4 soon after receiving the ransom amount.

"While releasing him, one of the abductors used Ganatra's cellphone to call Mahesh and inform him that his father was being released at Shindewadi. Mahesh reached the spot and picked up his father," he added.