Mumbai:Two minors were allegedly killed after being kidnapped in separate incidents in Maharashtra, police said today.
In the first incident in Aurangabad district, Vardhan Ghode (10) was kidnapped by two persons from his bungalow in Tilaknagar area last night, a senior police official said.
His mother and other kin approached police to file a missing complaint.
The police then questioned three youths with whom Vardhan was last seen. During investigation, a dog sniffed a car which belonged to one of the suspects Abhilash Mohanpurkar (24), he added.
Vardhan’s mother got a chit from anonymous kidnappers who demanded Rs 5 crore ransom for his release, the official added.
During the questioning, Abhilash and his fried Shyam Magare (20) confessed that they kidnapped and killed the boy for ransom, he added.
Vardhan was taken to Khultabad and was strangled with handkerchief, they told police. The two were apprehended and the boy’s body was found in a nullah, he said.
Abhilash also told police that Vardhan’s body was in his car when police and locals had launched search operation in the area.
Incidentally, Vardhan’s father Vivek, a builder by profession was murdered in Kalwa in Thane district by unidentified shooters in 2010, they added.
Aurangabad Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar has ordered to form Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the crime, officials added.
In a separate incident at Srigonda in Ahamednagar district, 17-year-old Akshay Panavkar, was allegedly killed by five persons for Rs 20 lakh ransom on February 26, official said.
“We have arrested Amol Pokare, Vaibhav Ole, Ajay Mandhare and two minors”, said Sahebrao Kadnoor, Senior Inspector of Srigonda Police Station.
The minor accused are Akshay’s friends and had planned his kidnapping and murder, added Kadnoor.