Pune Police Chase Kidnappers From Kothrud Across Expressway to Panvel, Rescue Businessman Abducted Over ₹7 Lakh Loan Dispute; One Arrested

Pune, 3rd November 2026: Pune police chased a kidnappers’ SUV from Kothrud across the Pune-Mumbai Expressway and stopped it near the Panvel exit, rescuing a 43-year-old businessman who had been abducted over a ₹7 lakh loan dispute, police said. One suspect has been arrested and three others who fled are being traced.

The businessman was allegedly assaulted and pushed into a Scorpio SUV by four men near Dipashree Bungalow in Kothrud on 28 October. A friend alerted police, and two Alankar police station personnel on marshal duty, Chavan and Londhe, began following the vehicle, according to the Free Press Journal.

The chase

1. Police learned the SUV was heading towards Mumbai via Karve Road and Chandni Chowk, and alerted several units on the route.
2. The vehicle was spotted near Khalapur, where the suspects allegedly ignored warnings and broke through a toll barrier.
3. Police pursued it along the Expressway and intercepted it near the Panvel exit.
4. The businessman was rescued unharmed. One suspect, Sameer Gulab Shaikh, was caught; the other three abandoned the SUV and escaped.

A loan he only mediated

Police said the businessman had acted as a go-between for two acquaintances who borrowed ₹7 lakh from the suspects. When they did not repay on time, the suspects allegedly targeted him. Police suspect Shaikh threatened to kill him over the unpaid money. Senior Police Inspector Ulhas Kadam has formed a team to trace the others.

Read about another case of police action in the district: the Dubai-based cyber fraud suspect arrested by Pimpri-Chinchwad police.

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