Six Arrested in Koparkhairane After Man Abducted Over Friendship With Woman
Six people were arrested after a 22-year-old man was allegedly abducted from Kharghar and assaulted over his friendship with a woman, with his abductors demanding Rs 11 lakh from his wife for his release. The Koparkhairane police rescued the victim within hours after tracing his live location.
The victim, identified as Zakir Sheikh, a resident of Kamothe, was abducted on the night of August 23. According to police, a woman known to Sheikh called him to Kharghar railway station, claiming her mother had thrown her out of the house. Sheikh arrived at the station on his motorcycle, where the woman's brother Rohit Hinukle, Yash Madhavi, and their associates allegedly followed him in a Toyota Glanza.
The accused forced Sheikh into the vehicle and took him to the ground floor of Prajakta Society in Sector 4, Koparkhairane. There, they questioned him regarding his communication with the woman, abused him, and assaulted him. Sheikh was subsequently confined in a Mahindra Thar and taken to a flat in the Bhoomipark building in Sector 19A, Ulwe.
At the flat, Kiran Hinukle, Vinodkumar Nair, Shrihari Pillai, Amalraj Muwari, and their associates allegedly beat Sheikh with sticks and threatened to kill him if the ransom was not paid. The accused later drove him around Ulwe in the Thar.
The kidnappers contacted Sheikh's wife and demanded Rs 11 lakh for his release. During the confinement, Sheikh managed to send his live location to his wife through his mobile phone. She immediately approached the police with the details.
Acting on the live location, the Koparkhairane police tracked down the vehicle and rescued Sheikh safely. Officers subsequently arrested Kiran Hinukle (52), Rohit Hinukle (26), Vinodkumar Nair (49), Shrihari Pillai (29), Amalraj Muwari (21), and Vighnesh Pille (31).
A police official noted that the live location proved crucial in tracing the victim and ensuring his rescue. Police have launched a search for three absconding suspects: Yash Madhavi, Apeksha Barsagade, and Pratijna Ambade. Investigators have also seized two Mahindra Thar vehicles, registered as MH-43-CU-0050 and TN-68-AJ-6000, allegedly used during the kidnapping.
