Kidnapping case of ex-health minister’s son closed; police file B-final report in court

The Sinhagad Road police on Thursday closed the investigation into the alleged kidnapping of Rushiraj, son of former state health minister and sitting MLA Tanaji Sawant.

PUNE: The Sinhagad Road police on Thursday closed the investigation into the alleged kidnapping of Rushiraj, son of former state health minister and sitting MLA Tanaji Sawant.

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A B-final report was submitted in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class stating that the complaint was false and no abduction had taken place.

Sambhaji Kadam, deputy commissioner of police (zone III), said, “Rushiraj went on his own, and it was not a case of kidnapping. We have filed a B summary before the court, and the case is shut.”

The case made headlines across Maharashtra after a kidnapping complaint was filed on February 10 this year. Initial reports suggested that Rishiraj had gone missing, prompting a state-wide alert. Pune police launched an investigation on a war footing, tracing the vehicle he was last seen in. It was later found that his driver had dropped him off at the airport, after which he could not be contacted.

Following the incident, Rahul Subhash Karale, head of the civil engineering department at JSPM, lodged an FIR. Sawant also reached out to senior police officials and ministers, seeking urgent help in locating his son.

The probe later revealed that Rishiraj had flown to Bangkok with two friends via a private chartered flight from Pune airport. Since the case was being treated as a possible abduction, the aircraft was intercepted and made to return to India. Rishiraj and his friends were brought back to Pune.

Sawant subsequently clarified that his son had gone to Bangkok for a business meeting but had not informed the family, leading to panic.