Tejas Navale
Pune, April 27, 2025: In a major crackdown on organised crime, a special court in Pune sentenced two men to seven years of rigorous imprisonment under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for abducting a businessman and robbing him of jewellery and cash. Special Judge V.R. Kachare also imposed a fine of Rs 15 lakh on each convict.
The convicted accused have been identified as Suraj alias Subba Ravindra Kamble (31), a resident of Ramnagar, Yerawada, and Nilesh Sanjay Saste (23), from Kelewadi, Kothrud. A complaint in the case was registered at the Kondhwa police station after the businessman, a resident of the Kondhwa area, approached the police.
According to the information, the incident took place on November 3, 2016. The businessman was travelling by car on NIBM Road in Kondhwa when Kamble and Saste, following him in another vehicle, intercepted his car. Brandishing threats, they forced the businessman into their car and later fled after looting his gold chain, ring, mobile phone, and a sum of cash.
Further investigation revealed that the duo were involved in multiple such criminal activities. As their operations were found to be part of an organised racket, the stringent provisions of MCOCA were invoked against them. The investigation was led by then Assistant Commissioner of Police Ravindra Rasal, with Senior Inspector Satish Govekar and Assistant Inspector Vishal Valvi of Kondhwa Police Station leading the probe. Mahesh Jagtap assisted in court proceedings.
During the trial, Additional Public Prosecutor Fargade argued for the maximum sentence for the accused, citing the organised nature of the crimes and the repeated targeting of innocent citizens. Accepting the prosecution’s arguments and the evidence on record, the special court found both accused guilty.
