Crime branch nabs two youngsters in Pune

The Pune anti-terrorism cell (PATC) of crime branch arrested two persons on Tuesday for allegedly demanding Rs50 lakh from a college student in the city.

Atul Balu Shirshat (20) of Erandwane and Hkrushikesh Pawar (19) of Bibvewadi used to call on the victim’s cellphone and allegedly threaten to circulate an obscene CD made on her if she does not give Rs50 lakh.

PATC arrested the suspects after the victim and her mother approached the authorities on Monday. According to the police, Shirshat used to work as a driver for the victim’s family and her mother was running a transport business. The suspects, who were making ransom calls for the past one month, again called on Monday. The victim told them that she could manage only Rs20 lakh and asked the suspects to meet her at Mitra Mandal Chowk on Tuesday afternoon.

Senior police inspector Sunil Tambe of PATC said, “We caught Pawar red-handed at around 2.30pm and, after interrogating him, arrested Shirshat from Pune station.” The Deccan police had arrested Shirshat in a robbery case in 1999.

The suspects will be produced before the court on Wednesday.
Suspecting infidelity, man stabs wife to death Chandrakant, 39, of Shitolenagar was arrested by the police for allegedly stabbing his wife, Laxmi Chandrakant Netake, to death. The deceased’s mother, Padma Sanane, 60, of Ganganagar in Sangvi, lodged a complaint.

According to the police, the couple got married in 1999 and has two children, Chaitali, 12, and Chaitanya, 9.

They used to fight frequently as Chandrakant suspected Laxmi of having an affair with their neighbour. In a heated argument, the suspect grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed his wife on her head and neck on Monday afternoon. The deceased was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to injuries. The suspect was produced before the court of judicial magistrate (first class) on Tuesday and remanded in three days’ police custody.