A woman constable suspects foul play and the involvement of his employer behind the sudden disappearance of her husband. Sudhir Yerunkar, 42, an interior designer from Mira Road, who has been missing for the last three months. Sudhir was employed with Baramati-based jeweller Shrenik Bhandari in Pune since October 2013 and went missing when he was on duty.
Sudhir’s wife, Sunita, 37, a constable with the MHB Colony police station, lodged a missing person’s complaint with the Baramati police in November and registered a case of kidnapping a month later. She told dna that Sudhir was working with Bhandari on a contract basis and had to travel from Mumbai to Baramati at least thrice a week.
“In the last week of October, Bhandari asked Sudhir to collect a Diwali gift from a Zaveri Bazaar-based jeweller and hand it over to him. After collecting the gift-wrapped box, he came home and on October 30, took a rickshaw to the ST stand near Borivli station from where he was supposed to travel to Baramati. However, he lost the box on the way. Despite frantic attempts, he could not find it and returned to Pune empty-handed,” Sunita said.
She says after being told that the box was lost, Bhandari asked her husband to call her and made him search for the gift again. “Sudhir was unaware that the box contained gold jewellery worth Rs9 lakh,” said Sunita. “Bhandari threatened us and used abusive language on the phone. He alleged that we stole the gift and were making up stories. We were willing to compensate him for the loss, but he was not convinced. Since then, I have not seen my husband... I lost my father because of a heart attack after Sudhir went missing.”
Sunita alleges that she is being made to run from pillar to post and that the police are hand-in-glove with the “influential” jeweller, who is absconding. “They have not been able to trace Bhandari or find out my husband’s whereabouts. As a police personnel myself, I am shocked with this kind of attitude. I have written to the home ministry and senior police officers in Mumbai, who have assured help,” she told dna.
The Baramati police have registered a case of kidnapping, criminal intimidation and intentional insult against Bhandari. “The accused has approached high court after his plea for anticipatory bail was rejected. We will question Bhandari once he is arrested. Meanwhile, investigations are on and the hunt for Sudhir continues,” said KS Patel, assistant inspector with the Baramati police station.
Lost bag with jewellery worth Rs9L
Sudhir Yerunkar, 42, was working with Baramati-based jeweller Shrenik Bhandari in Pune. In October 2013, Bhandari asked Sudhir to collect a bag from a jeweller in Zaveri Bazaar. Sudhir lost the bag, allegedly containing gold jewellery worth Rs9 lakh, and told Bhandari about it. The jeweller alleged Sudhir was lying. Sudhir has been missing since then
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