NAGPUR: The lure for fast money landed a young live-in couple from Maharashtra's Bhandara in jail on charges of
abduction
and
ransom
on Friday.
Swapnil Maraskolhe (25) and Chetna Burade (23) had shifted to Nagpur two years ago and did odd jobs for a living. But they wanted big money. Taking inspiration from a crime web series, they hatched an abduction and
extortion
plan.
After two months, they zeroed down on a 23-year-old woman IT professional. Posing as National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths, they intercepted her at Hingna T-point Wednesday morning.
Zonal DCP Anurag Jain, who led the case under CP Ravinder Singal, said Wednesday that Chetna stopped the young woman at a desolate place and demanded that she accompany her in a bomb blast investigation case. But the young woman paid no heed and walked on.
In the evening, while returning from work, the woman rode a two-wheeler. But Chetna, also on a two-wheeler, stopped her again and flashed a fake NIA ID card. As soon as the young woman stopped, Swapnil appeared and hopped onto the victim's two-wheeler holding a gun. On Swapnil's directions, the woman drove to the duo's rented accommodation. She was locked there inside a room. The next day, the duo made the ransom call for Rs 30 lakh in Bhojpuri using Google Translate. When the woman's father could not find her, he filed a police complaint.
On Friday, the woman came out of the room to use the washroom. She started shouting for help. Cops nearby rushed to the spot and nabbed both Chetna and Swapnil. The two were produced before court on Saturday which remanded them in police custody till March 27.
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