Ghatkopar abduction case: Accused planned trip abroad with ransom

Three members of the gang that abducted a Ghatkopar youth and extorted Rs 2 crore as ransom from his father had planned to go on a trip to southeast Asian countries with the money, interrogations have revealed.

Three members of the gang that abducted a Ghatkopar youth and extorted Rs 2 crore as ransom from his father had planned to go on a trip to southeast Asian countries with the money, interrogations have revealed.

Ajit Apraj alias Ajitbhai, 40, Rakesh Kanojia, 32, and Gautam Gupta alias Abdul, 30, who were arrested by the Mumbai crime branch with four other gang members last week, have told interrogators they had planned to go to Bangkok, Pattaya and Singapore, in the first week of May, after executing their plan.

“The three decided to splurge on a lavish trip abroad with the ransom money. They wanted to visit casinos and enjoy the nightlife there and had even made advance bookings for their trip,” said a senior crime branch officer, adding, “The idea was also to ensure they kept themselves off the police’s radar.”

Meanwhile, the crime branch officials have raided Apraj’s Murbad farmhouse and the rented house in Wani where they had kept the boy after kidnapping him.

“Important evidence was collected from these two places. Details of the articles collected cannot be disclosed at this stage, but it is certain the evidence will help the police build a strong case against the accused people,” said the senior officer.

The police are in the process of collecting more evidence in the case to make it watertight. The gang had committed two similar abductions earlier, and evaded capture in both cases, even though FIRs were filed.

While one of the kidnappings took place in 2013 in Aarey Colony area, the other took place in 2014 in Kurla. They had got ransom worth Rs 12 lakh and Rs 81 lakh respectively, in the two abductions.

All the accused are presently in police custody.