Pune, Dec 01: The city police arrested four persons for demanding a ransom of Rs 10 lakh from builder Nikhil Ramkrishna Rane, who was shot at by unidentified assailants on November 23. Rane who was attacked while heading to his office on Jangli Maharaj Road and was admitted to Sancheti Hospital breathed his last at 10.45 am on Monday.
“The bullet had penetrated into his spinal chord. Though we had operated and removed the bullet on the first day, his condition remained critical. For the last week he was on ventilator. Yesterday, he stopped responding to the treatment and breathed his last today,” said Dr Parag Sancheti. Rane is survived by wife Ashwini Rane, two daughters and parents.
The four arrested have been indentified as Sandeep Dicholkar (resident of MIDC Road, Badlapur, Dhananjay Dixit (Uruli Kanchan), Sandeep Rohidas Sangle (PMC colony, Bhavani Peth) and Deepak Borkar (Gajanan Vijay Society, Narayan Peth). Dicholkar is associated with the Ashwin Naik gang, police said.
Rane had purchased two acres of land in Sus village from Uttam Sasar in 2005 for Rs 1.04 crore. While Rane had made a down payment of Rs 10 lakh, the rest were to be paid in installments. “While Rane failed to pay the installments, Sasar sold 48 gunthas of the same land to a third party. On finding out about this, Rane filed a case against Sasar in civil court.
While trying to pressurise Rane for withdrawing the case, one of Sasar’s close relatives got in touch with Dixit and Borkar. While Sasar settled the case with Rane by agreeing to pay the latter Rs 90 lakh, Borkar and Dixit on getting to know about the settlement, demanded Rs 10 lakh out of the settlement. When Dixit, Borkar, Sangle and Dicholkar threatened to kill him, Rane paid the amount on November 15,” said Kishor Jadhav, police inspector, Anti-Extortion Cell.
The police are baffled by the fact despite paying the amount, Rane had to pay with life. “The police are trying to find links between the two events,” PI Jadhav said. When asked whether Pune was fast becoming an epicentre of land mafias, Deputy Commissioner of Police Dnyaneshwar Phadtare (Zone 1) said, “We are investigating further and trying to find links leading to the underworld. It would be too early to come to draw any conclusion.”
Friends and acquaintances rushed to Rane’s residence at 10 Kasturkunj at Bhosale Nagar. “He was a friendly person. He was a member of one of our committees and would visit study tours organised by our association. He was also great golfer,” said Nitin Nyati, secretary, Promoters and Builders’ Association, Pune (PBAP). “After finishing his education from BMCC and Law College, he had joined the construction line.
His demise in such a horrific manner has left us shattered,” said Rane’s school friends. “The family had come to stay here two years ago. He would actively participate in society functions and was known to mix with everyone in the society,” said one of the society members who did not want to be named.
–Agencies