The Pune city police have arrested Dr Prakash Bandivadekar, a dreaded criminal from Kolhapur, who is also known as ‘Doctor Don’, in connection with the kidnapping of a share market trader and his friend for a ransom of Rs 20 crore.
Police had recently invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the notorious Gajanan Marne gang in Pune after the involvement of its members came to light in this kidnapping-for-ransom case.
The 34-year-old share market trader and his 30-year-old friend and business colleague were kidnapped from Katraj area on October 7. A demand of Rs 20 crore was made for the release of the two persons.
The initial probe by the police suggested that the suspects kept the two victims on the move throughout the night on October 7 in different vehicles on Mumbai-Bangalore Highway in Pune. Senior officials said that after meticulous surveillance of the suspects, the two abductees were rescued from the Pune Camp area on the night of October 8.
An FIR was lodged at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station. Investigations revealed that criminals linked to gangster Gajanan Gaja Marne (55) alias Maharaj and his nephew and henchman Rupesh Marne (43) were behind the kidnapping.
Police initially arrested four persons and booked 14 members of the Gajanan Marne gang under MCOCA. While a search is on for the remaining accused including the Marne uncle-nephew duo, investigations revealed involvement of Bandivadekar in this crime.
Police launched a search for him and managed to arrest him from Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Friday. Police said Bandivadekar was earlier booked in 12 serious crimes including murders since 1998. He was acquitted in a few cases and granted bail in other crimes.
