Pune Rural Police rescued the 17-year-old son of a local businessman within hours after he was kidnapped on Tuesday, leading to the arrest of two suspects allegedly involved in a Rs 5 crore ransom plot. The incident occurred when the minor was leaving one of his father’s wine shops in the afternoon. As the shop’s watchman stepped out during the lunch hour, two masked individuals allegedly forced the teenager into a black car after a brief struggle and fled the scene. The watchman quickly raised an alarm, alerted the family, and the police were notified without delay.
After initial inputs indicated the vehicle was heading towards the Satara highway, police established checkpoints across Satara, Saswad, and Jejuri. The suspects diverted their route via Jejuri–Lonand to avoid detection. Teams from Jejuri and Neera police stations coordinated to intensify vehicle checks. During a blockade near Pisur village, about 40–45 kilometres from the abduction site, officers spotted a high-speed car. When signalled to stop, the driver accelerated, prompting a pursuit.
The chase continued over several kilometres until the suspects lost control of the vehicle on a narrow road, and it became stuck in a sugarcane field. The accused abandoned the car, leaving the teenager inside, who was then rescued by police. Two individuals, Akshay Lakshman Ingulkar, identified as the main accused, and Akshay Bhalerao, both residents of Hadapsar’s Manjari area, were apprehended. The accused also changed the number plate of the car.
According to police, the abduction was meticulously planned. From media reports, the accused learnt that the teen’s father was embroiled in a honey-trap case, which involved financial transactions. Thinking that the teen’s father could be pressured into paying a handsome amount of ransom, the accused, in the next few days, tracked all the movements of the boy and finally carried out the kidnapping operation on Tuesday afternoon. However, the swift action by the local police prevented them from succeeding.
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