Pune: In a gruesome instance of juvenile crime, a 15-year-old schoolboy was kidnapped, strangled and then had his throat slit by his former classmate and two others here on Saturday.
After killing him, the three called the boy’s father demanding Rs 50,000 as ransom and even got Rs 15,000 out of him.
Shubham Shirke, of Adarshnagar in Dighi, and a student of an Englishmedium school, was kidnapped by a 16-year-old former classmate who had dropped out of school in the eighth standard.
He was helped by two more boys, one 16-year-old and the other Amit Nair (19), of Apte colony in Bhosari. While Shubham had taken his senior secondary exams, Nair is in Class XII.
All three were arrested late on Saturday and confessed to their crime on Sunday.
Senior inspector Motichand Rathod of Vishrantwadi police station told TOI that the boys hatched the plot to kidnap Shubham around 20 days back thinking he was rich — his parents are employed — and make merry with the ransom money.
“They zeroed in on Shubham as they believed his parents would be able to pay,” Rathod said.
According to police sources, it was learnt that the three hired a car on Saturday afternoon and called Shubham on his cell phone around 2pm.
“They asked him to get a CD. Shubham told his grandmother that he was going out with friends. The suspects drove off with him to a secluded place on Dighi-Alandi road,” Rathod said.
Shubham resisted his assailants, evident from his hand which bore cut marks.
He was throttled with a cotton trouser belt and the killers then made sure the teenager was dead by slitting his throat.
They dumped the body in a trench near Tank Road at Dighi and immediately left the spot around 4pm, sources in the police said.
Around 5pm, the suspects called Shubham’s father demanding Rs 50,000 for his release.
The father, who works in a paint shop, rushed home, managing to rustle up Rs 15,000.
“Mahadev Shirke (Shubham’s father) told them he could arrange only Rs 15,000. He took some friends with him and went near the petrol pump. However, the suspects did not turn up there.
“They called again asking him to come near a restaurant. But they did not show up there either. Around 10pm, they told Mahadev to come near another restaurant with the money,” Rathod said.
When he went to this restaurant, his son’s former classmate arrived on Nair’s motorcycle.
“He had covered his face and blackened the number-plate. He took Rs 15,000. Asked about the boy, he said he will be released. He also told Mahadev to get the remaining amount,” Rathod said.
After waiting for about an hour, Mahadev called cops. Unbeknownst to the kidnapper, someone had removed the black substance from the number plate and taken down the registration number.
“We then traced the number and also the identities of the suspects. They were arrested around midnight,” said a cop.
Nair was produced in court on Sunday and remanded in police custody until April 5. The two minors have been sent to the Yerawada remand home.
After killing him, the three called the boy’s father demanding Rs 50,000 as ransom and even got Rs 15,000 out of him.
Shubham Shirke, of Adarshnagar in Dighi, and a student of an Englishmedium school, was kidnapped by a 16-year-old former classmate who had dropped out of school in the eighth standard.
He was helped by two more boys, one 16-year-old and the other Amit Nair (19), of Apte colony in Bhosari. While Shubham had taken his senior secondary exams, Nair is in Class XII.
All three were arrested late on Saturday and confessed to their crime on Sunday.
Senior inspector Motichand Rathod of Vishrantwadi police station told TOI that the boys hatched the plot to kidnap Shubham around 20 days back thinking he was rich — his parents are employed — and make merry with the ransom money.
“They zeroed in on Shubham as they believed his parents would be able to pay,” Rathod said.
According to police sources, it was learnt that the three hired a car on Saturday afternoon and called Shubham on his cell phone around 2pm.
“They asked him to get a CD. Shubham told his grandmother that he was going out with friends. The suspects drove off with him to a secluded place on Dighi-Alandi road,” Rathod said.
Shubham resisted his assailants, evident from his hand which bore cut marks.
He was throttled with a cotton trouser belt and the killers then made sure the teenager was dead by slitting his throat.
They dumped the body in a trench near Tank Road at Dighi and immediately left the spot around 4pm, sources in the police said.
Around 5pm, the suspects called Shubham’s father demanding Rs 50,000 for his release.
The father, who works in a paint shop, rushed home, managing to rustle up Rs 15,000.
“Mahadev Shirke (Shubham’s father) told them he could arrange only Rs 15,000. He took some friends with him and went near the petrol pump. However, the suspects did not turn up there.
“They called again asking him to come near a restaurant. But they did not show up there either. Around 10pm, they told Mahadev to come near another restaurant with the money,” Rathod said.
When he went to this restaurant, his son’s former classmate arrived on Nair’s motorcycle.
“He had covered his face and blackened the number-plate. He took Rs 15,000. Asked about the boy, he said he will be released. He also told Mahadev to get the remaining amount,” Rathod said.
After waiting for about an hour, Mahadev called cops. Unbeknownst to the kidnapper, someone had removed the black substance from the number plate and taken down the registration number.
“We then traced the number and also the identities of the suspects. They were arrested around midnight,” said a cop.
Nair was produced in court on Sunday and remanded in police custody until April 5. The two minors have been sent to the Yerawada remand home.
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