Pune: To recover a pending bill for crushed stones supplied to a civil contractor firm, a 39-year-old stone crusher owner and his four accomplices abducted the firm’s owner on Tuesday afternoon and demanded Rs 50 lakh from his father for his release.A Kharadi police team led by senior police inspector Sanjay Chavan swung into action after being alerted by the victim’s father and rescued the firm owner (40) of Gahunje, originally from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The police have arrested five persons: Sagar Zurunge (39), Vijay Valunj (38), Raju Sahane (32), Rupesh Gawade (38), all from Lonikand, and Prakash Raut (38) of Tulapur.“The accused were produced before the court on Wednesday and remanded to police custody till April 17,” assistant police inspector Ravindra Godse, who is investigating the case, told TOI.Godse said the complainant, who runs a construction firm handling Metro civil contracts, came into contact with crushed stone supplier Zurunge in Aug last year. Zurunge supplied materials on a 45-day credit, and the complainant claimed he regularly cleared the dues.“On Monday, Zurunge called the complainant and told him that he wanted to discuss some civil construction-related work. He told him to come to Kharadi on Tuesday,” Godse said.The officer said the complainant reached around 12 pm on Tuesday, when the accused forced him to visit his stone crusher. There, he and his accomplices threatened him, demanded Rs 50 lakh, switched off his two phones, slapped him, and forced him into another SUV, saying he wouldn’t be released until payment.“The accused then contacted the complainant’s father and told him to give Rs 50 lakh if he wants his son safe,” the officer said.Godse said that the accused again beat the complainant in the SUV and shifted him to another SUV. While they were heading towards Lonikand, the police team tracked them and rescued the contractor.“Prima facie, the accused abducted the complainant to recover their money. Our investigations are on,” Godse said.
