Cops rescue abducted boy in Pune

The Dehu Road police on Saturday evening arrested Vitthal Bhausaheb Mhaske, 25, of Sane Colony in Chikhali for his alleged involvement in kidnapping his nephew, Siddheshwar Sopan Kartade, 7, and demanding a ransom of Rs8 lakh. Siddheshwar was rescued by the police at Vallabhanagar State Transport bus depot when the abductors were trying to whisk him away to Aurangabad.

However, two of the kidnappers, taking advantage of the melee, managed to give the police the slip.

Vitthal, a labourer with a private company in Bhosari MIDC, frequented the Sharadnagar house of Siddheshwar, whose father is a mason in Pimpri-Chinchwad area.

According to the police, Vitthal, who was burdened with Rs1 lakh loan, allegedly hatched the plot to kidnap Siddheshwar.

Vitthal was with the panicked parents when they were searching for Siddheshwar and filing a police complaint. The police found his behaviour suspicious and after questioning, he spilled the beans.