Catering student abducted, killed for a new hi-tech motorbike

In a heart-wrenching incident, a five-year-old son of a scientist couple was kidnapped and strangulated to death with a handkerchief by a first-year hotel management student in a bid to extort ransom from the boy’s parents. The incident took place at Pashan on Sunday night.

The body of the victim, Shubh Bupendra Raval, a resident of Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) colony in Pashan, was found in Vetalbaba Hill. The police have arrested two sons of servicemen, one of them a minor, for alleged involvement in the murder.

The arrested youth has been identified as Parminder Swarn Singh (20) of DSC quarter in Sutarwadi area of Pashan. The other suspect, a 15-year-old boy, too lives in the same colony. The police said that Parminder plotted the crime and planned to spend the ransom money to purchase a high-powered motorbike.

Parminder is a student of catering management and works part-time with a multinational food chain near Pune railway station, while the other suspect is in standard X. The arrested 15-year-old had also provided information about Shubh’s
family to Parminder.

According to the police, Shubh’s father Bhupendra is a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist posted in ARDE laboratory. Shubh’s mother Sukeshini is also a scientist with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL). The five-year-old was studying in central nursing school in Panchawati area of Pashan.

The police also claimed that Parminder confessed his crime during interrogation and told them that he got the idea to make a quick buck after reading report of a kidnapping incident in a Hindi newspaper on Friday.

“After reading a story in the newspaper, I immediately thought of kidnapping someone for ransom. I sought help of one of my college friends to identify someone whose family can pay the ransom money. Initially, he denied my proposal and cautioned me about the consequence of it. However, I was not deterred and started thinking of other alternatives. On Saturday, I met the teenaged boy living near my house and confided in him. He immediately gave me details of Shubh’s family,” Parminder told the police.

“The boy told me Shubh’s parents were earning more than Rs1lakh per month and would be able to pay a hefty ransom. Initially, the boy was all for my plan, but on Sunday he suddenly refused. I decided to work alone. I then left my house for my workplace. However, when I reached Pune station, the boy SMSed me showing willingness to help me execute the plan. I immediately returned to Pashan in a bus, met him and took the mobile number of Shubh’s parents from him,” Parminder added.

The police said that Shubh was playing cricket near his house after attending an aarti in his colony around 8 pm when Parminder reached there. He had covered his face with a handkerchief. Deputy commissioner of police Shahaji Umap of (zone III) said, “Parminder won Shubh’s confidence by giving him a chocolate and lured him to go with him. He promised Shubh that he’ll show him decorations of Ganesh mandals.”

With the help of the teenaged boy, Parmider took Shubh to the hill. However, Umap said, Shubh managed to see his face and suspecting foul play, the child threatened to complain to his parents. The child also tried escaping. Fearing that he would reveal their identities, Parminder and his accomplice allegedly strangulated Shubh.

Later, Parminder and his associate allegedly hid Shubh’s body behind a 10-feet tall compound wall and went away. Meanwhile, Shubh’s parents approached the police and a hunt for him began. Besides, his parents questioned several children from the area, including the 15-year-old suspect. During the course of questioning, the boy revealed Parminder’s role in the crime.

According to the police, Shubh’s parents approached Parminer who claimed that he had left the boy near Chatuhshrungi. The parents then informed the police who later took Parminder into custody and questioned him.