Thane police has arrested two teenagers, one15-year and the other 19-yr-old, for kidnapping a marble businessman's son Prince on Friday and then demanding Rs 1 crore ransom.
The two even hired a godown to keep the boy during negotiations.
On Friday, Prince, the son of Rajendrakumar Jain – a marble businessman and a resident of Dombivli MIDC – was kidnapped from his building complex. Police registered a case of kidnapping on Saturday after the family received a ransom call.
Jain said, “The kidnappers demanded that the ransom be paid in denominations of Rs 1,000. They threatened to kill Prince if they didn't receive the money soon. At 8 pm they called to check if the sum was ready.”
Prashant Burde, Additional Commissioner of Thane Police, crime, said, “The kidnappers didn't use their mobile phones - which would have helped us trace them. They called from PCOs at Thane, Kurla, Mumbra and Dombivli.” He added the ransom amount was brought down to Rs 30 lakh.
The accused allegedly agreed to pick up the money at Dombivli's Dwarka Hotel at 12.30 am on Sunday. Jain was given a bag with a fake cash and police set a trap.
“We were shocked when a young boy approached Jain and demanded the cash. Our officers nabbed him and he identified himself as Rvi Naidu (name changed),15, a resident of Dombivli. He said his accomplice Kushal Jain(name changed) had hid Prince in a godown which they had hired on Thursday,” added Burde.
Police said Kushal(name changed), 19, is Jain's nephew and the brain behind the crime. He had hid Prince at a godown at Devi Chowk in Dombivli W. Police took Naidu there and asked him to call Kushal out. However, Kushal got the wind of the plan and escaped to the roof.
“Kushal threatened to hurt Prince if arrested. We surrounded him from all directions, blocking all escape routes. Then, Senior Inspector Rahul Yewale fired a bullet in the air to scare him,” said Burde. Police said Kushal fell off the roof and was arrested. Meanwhile, Prince was rescued from the mezzanine floor.
“Kushal is a school dropout and wanted to open a cyber café of his own. He targeted his relatives as they are financially well-off. We are stunned at how he made the kidnapping look professional,” said Burde.
Kushal will remain in police custody till October 28 and Naidu, a minor and a Std IX student, has been sent to a remand home.
