A widely known bullock cart racer in Maval within the Pune district disappeared after becoming a member of the marketing campaign for the Maharashtra Meeting election within the space. His household initially obtained messages from his cellphone quantity adopted by a ransom demand of Rs 50 lakh. What unfolded was a drama that ended with a chilling revelation that the 52-year-old was murdered on the identical day he was kidnapped.
Pandit Ramchandra Jadhav, a resident of the Navlakh Umbre village below the Maval taluka, was a well-to-do and politically linked farmer however was identified extra for his bullock cart racing abilities and his well-known bull Moggi. Jadhav had received many native races and obtained a number of prizes which included half a dozen bikes.
On November 14, simply six days earlier than the Maharashtra Meeting elections 2024, Jadhav left his home at round 5 pm and advised his spouse Asha he was going to a campaigning occasion of an Impartial candidate for the Maval Meeting seat. When Usha known as Jadhav at round 7 pm to ask about dinner, he advised her he had already eaten and requested his household to have dinner with out him. At round 11 pm, Usha obtained a WhatsApp message from his cellphone quantity asking somebody to take their Fortuner SUV close to their outdated home. Usha then requested their son to take the SUV to the realm positioned close by.
Within the subsequent message, obtained at round 5 am November 15, “Jadhav” stated he was going for the preparation of a bullock cart race and would return the subsequent day. Usha began getting WhatsApp calls from Jadhav’s cellphone, and when she known as again nobody answered or she discovered it was switched off.
The following day, she received the subsequent message at round 3.45 am, saying the Fortuner SUV had been parked close to a dam and ought to be taken house. The following messages that arrived requested for Jadhav’s debit card particulars and money of round Rs 2 lakh. At this level, Usha replied to the message, saying her husband couldn’t sort this quick nor he would miss her calls. She requested for a video of her husband or else the household would method the police. At this level, the household obtained a ransom demand of Rs 50 lakh.
Jadhav’s household approached the Pimpri Chinchwad police, and a case of kidnapping was registered on the Talegaon MIDC Police Station. A group led by Senior Inspector Devendra Chavan of the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Pimpri Chinchwad police launched the probe.
“Inside the first few hours into the probe, we received crucial technical leads by the cellular phone location evaluation and CCTV cameras within the space. We zeroed in on a suspect Suraj Wankhede, 23, whose household is a tenant of one other home of the Jadhav household in the identical space. Wankhede and his father had constructed the current home of Jadhavs and he knew the household nicely. It got here to mild that there have been each monetary and private disputes between Suraj Wankhede and Jadhav. Wankhede had been considering of eliminating Jadhav for months,” stated a police officer.
Sandeep Doiphode, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), stated, that quickly they arrested Wankhede from the Badhalwadi space of Maval when he was about to flee. “Our probe revealed that Wankhede and his confederate, Ranjit Kumar, a Bihar native labourer, kidnapped Jadhav on November 14. They murdered Jadhav on the identical day by strangling him with a rope and subsequently began staging it as kidnapping for ransom. Utilizing Jadhav’s SUV, which he had requested for utilizing Jadhav’s cellular phone, Wankhede took his physique to a hill within the Vahagaon space in Khed and burnt it”.
One other officer, who was part of the probe, stated their investigation into Jadhav’s homicide additionally revealed different particulars. “Wankhede had known as Jadhav on the pretext of property-related dialogue. Wankhede and Ranjit Kumar kidnapped and murdered Jadhav on the identical day after which began sending messages to Jadhav’s spouse utilizing Jadhav’s cellphone,” stated the officer.
The officer stated Wankhede took Jadhav’s physique within the Fortuner SUV as they regarded for a spot to destroy it.
“After burning the physique, Wankhede washed the SUV inside out and parked it close to Jadhav’s home. He then requested it to be picked up by sending a message from Jadhav’s cellphone. With the coordinated probe on technical leads and meticulous ground-level investigation, we arrested Wankhede. A group has been despatched outdoors Maharashtra to arrest his confederate Ranjit Kumar and we hope to arrest him quickly,” added the officer.
