Bhadre’s quizzing may throw light on Raut kidnapping

Nagpur: After RajuBhadre’s arrest amid tight security in Ajay Raut kidnapping case, the city crime branch has received his police custody for seven days to dig out more details. Bhadre was declared the mastermind of builder Raut’s kidnapping that resulted in Rs 1.75 crore extortion. He was arrested from Central Jail on a production warrant. Bhadre is already serving life sentence in PintuShirke murder case.
A gang had kidnapped Raut in a car at Cosmos Square, Rana Pratap Nagar area on December 11. Raut then claimed to have taken Rs 1 core from Bhadre and given Rs 1.75 crore to his abductors. Further investigation in the case revealed that Bhadre himself had planned the kidnapping with Diwakar Kottulwar.
Police had earlier arrested five people in the case while search for Kottulwar and others is still on. As per directions of Bhadre, Kottulwar had carried out the abduction and taken Raut to a room in backyard of Bhadre’s house.
Addressing media persons, DCP Zone I Shailesh Balkawde stated that the interrogation had just begun that will clear all points in the case. Crime branch is trying to trace the extoriton money. Bhadre, after his arrest on Monday afternoon was taken to ACP office and later shifted to Crime branch office. After initial interrogation, he was produced in the district court where the police appealed for 14 days’s custody.
After listening to arguments of government pleader Vijay Kolhe and defence lawyer Praful Mohagaonkar, R K Tiwari and Parag Uikey, the court granted police custody for Bhadre till February 22.
Police sources informed that on day of abduction, Raut, Bhadre and Diwakar had communicated with each other nine times. Bhadre’s interrogation may clear the kidnapping plan made between him and Diwakar.
DCP Ranjan Kumar Sharma, while briefing media at Zone I office, said that gangster Santosh Ambekar, who was recently booked under MCOCA, was still at large. Sharma stated they had seized a laptop and pen drive from Ambekar’s home and were sure of a positive turn in the case.