An educationist from Indapur was kidnapped and assaulted for ransom in broad daylight. Police arrested three accused within hours. The incident echoes recent violent crimes, intensifying concerns over safety in Maharashtra.
INDAPUR, JULY 5: In a disturbing incident reminiscent of the recent Sarpanch murder in Beed, a renowned educationist from Pune district was abducted in broad daylight and threatened for ransom, sparking serious concerns about rising lawlessness.
The victim, Laxman Harnaval, founder of the Gurukul Gokhale Educational Institution in Gokhali, was kidnapped from a salon in Tarangwadi village, Indapur taluka, on July 3. The accused allegedly demanded a monthly ransom of ₹1 lakh.
According to police reports, Harnaval had visited Ganesh Kshirsagar’s haircutting salon when three men — identified as Shivam Balu Dombale, Vaibhav Haribhau Malve, and Sanket Appa Jalak — confronted him. The trio, brandishing an iron fist weapon, asked, “Guruji, will you pay us ₹1 lakh or not?” and threatened to kill him if he refused.
When Harnaval resisted, the accused reportedly assaulted him with kicks and punches, then forced him onto a motorcycle and took him to a nearby stone crusher site owned by Prahlad Devkate, about 1.5 km away. There, they robbed him of ₹5,000 from his trouser pocket and reiterated their demand for a ₹1 lakh monthly payoff.
The abductors eventually released Harnaval, who immediately rushed to the Indapur Police Station and lodged a formal complaint. Acting swiftly, police registered a case and, within hours, arrested all three accused.
The police have booked the trio under multiple sections related to kidnapping, extortion, assault, and criminal intimidation. Further investigation is underway to determine whether more individuals are involved or if this is part of a larger extortion racket.
This incident, coming close on the heels of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh’s kidnapping and murder in Beed, has heightened fear and tension across the state — raising urgent questions about public safety and law enforcement effectiveness.
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