One more arrest in Katraj kidnapping case
The accused, Sachin Pawar, a resident of Latur district, was arrested on Tuesday and produced in court on Wednesday, where he was granted three days of police custody
Bharati Vidyapeeth Police on Tuesday arrested an individual from Latur in connection with the kidnapping and abduction of a two-year-old girl in the Katraj area of Pune. The accused, Sachin Pawar, a resident of Latur district, was arrested on Tuesday and produced in court on Wednesday, where he was granted three days of police custody.
Swapnil Pawar, API and investigating officer in the case, said, “In the past week, we have arrested five individuals from Tuljapur and various parts of Pune. During their interrogation, Sachin Pawar’s name emerged. It appears that the kidnapping was carried out following Pawar’s instructions.”
The investigation into the abduction of the two-year-old girl from the Wonder City slum area in Katraj on July 26 has led to the arrest of five individuals, mostly migrant beggars from the Pardhi community.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sunil Bhosale (51), Shankar Pawar (50), and Shalubai Kale (45)—all from Pardhi Vasti in Tuljapur, Dharashiv district.
The accused are believed to be part of an organised network of beggars who frequently travel between religious destinations that attract large crowds, such as Pandharpur and Alandi during the annual Wari, and Pune during the Ganesh festival. The network allegedly kidnaps young children to accompany them while begging, using the children to elicit public sympathy and increase earnings.
Rahulkumar Khilare, Senior Police Inspector (SPI) at Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station, said, “Preliminary investigations suggest that the accused belong to the Pardhi community and had planned to exploit the kidnapped child for begging. However, the investigation is ongoing.”
