2 youths arrested in kidnap-cum-murder case

Mumbai, Oct 20 (UNI) In a significant breakthrough in the kidnapping-cum-murder case of a 19-year-collegian allegedly for ransom, city police today arrested two youths from Vakola in suburban Santacruz.

Addressing mediapersons, Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria said on October 12, the deceased Ratan Rao had gone for picnic with friends. His father Padubidri Krishna Rao Rajan lodged a missing complaint with MIDC police station, when he did not return home till late night.

On the next day, Mr Krishna Rao received a call from Ratan's mobile number, demanding ransom of Rs 10 lakh for releasing him.

However, when the complainant went to give the money, the accused did not turn up.

Later, when the Crime branch Unit-X received information that the two accused were spotted at Vakola, police laid a trap and arrested Kushal Chandrakant Chavan (19) and Vinayak Sitaram Birje (20) here this afternoon.

Mr Maria said during the interrogation, they disclosed that they knew Ratan and had taken him to Vasai at Tungareshwar forest area on the pretext of picnic and killed him. They buried his body under a heap of stones in the forest.

They were produced before Metropolitan Magistrate court, which remanded them to police custody till November three, he added.

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