2 ARRESTED FOR KIDNAPPING, ASSAULTING RETD RAILWAY OFFICIAL

KALYAN: The Mahatma Phule police in Kalyan have arrested two people and are in search of a third person for assaulting, kidnapping and leaving a 61-yearold retired railway employee unconscious in a 100m deep valley at Malshej Ghat.

The victim claimed he was unconscious for some time and later, after walking for three hours, reached the road. With the help of a truck driver, he reached the local police station and was later admitted to Railway hospital in Kalyan, where he is undergoing treatment.

Police said the victim, identified as Prakash Bhoir, is a resident of Khadakpada in Kalyan. The arrested accused have been identified as Shailesh Gaikwad, 34, son of one of Bhoir’s friends, and Bharat Gaikwad, 34, who is Shailesh’s friend. The arrested were produced in court on Thursday and kept in police custody for seven days.

The police, during the investigation, found that the trio was angry as Bhoir didn’t assign them the contract of house repairs. Hence, the trio planned and decided to loot the retirement money he got after completing his service.

“On January 25 at 2.30pm, they called Bhoir to State Bank of India branch near Murbad Road, Kalyan. They kidnapped him in an auto rickshaw and took him to Malshej Ghat. They took away his mobile phone and hit him on his head with a stone and left him in the valley almost 100m down so that he may be dead and they could get all the cash. As Shailesh was close to him and used to help him with bank dealings, he knew the bank pin and password,” said a police officer.

The trio went to Bhoir’s residence, broke open the lock and robbed ₹75,000 cash, gold ornaments worth ₹13.25 lakh, a mobile phone worth ₹5,000, a Scooty and debit card. Police are yet to recover the booty.