Nagpur: Suraj Sahu, in his 20s, had abducted 15-year-old Raj Pandey on Thursday from Indiramata Nagar in MIDC and took him to the forest adjoining Salai Godhni on a bike where he stoned him to death before slitting the veins of the victim’s right hand with a surgical blade to avenge the victim’s family having shifted his childhood friend-turned-lady love to Banaras where she got married.The perpetrator, who was demanding the beheaded picture of Pandey’s uncle as a ransom, was also upset, claiming the man had raped his mother six years ago and also got him injured in an accident.
Pandey, whose body was found in the early hours of Friday, was killed even as family and friends kept on negotiating with the abductor with a false hope.
During one of the talks, Pandey was heard howling in the recorded audio clip, pleading to his mother Geeta and others to get him released while shuddering.After failing to convince Sahu, family and friends rushed to seek police help but by then, it was too late.
Cops claimed that Sahu kept on negotiating by concealing the murder.
City police chief Amitesh Kumar and different units of Nagpur police were engaged in searching for the abductor until he was nabbed at Borkhedi by a team of Sonegaon police.
Family and police sources said separation from the woman prompted Sahu to plot the murder.
Incidentally, it was victim Pandey through whom Sahu sent messages to his lady love, said a family member.
Pandey was the girl’s cousin brother.
The family, apart from objecting to Sahu’s relationship, had also decided to send the girl away.
Sources claimed that the Pandeys had also confronted Sahu regarding the issue.Sahu abducted Pandey, a cricket lover, by luring him to play in a cricket tournament with a cash prize of Rs 50,000.
Pandey, the second of the three siblings, was a student of standard VII.
He was also popular in the neighbourhood as a singer.Pandey’s friend told TOI that he could speak to the boy till 7.11pm after which the cellphone was switched off.
“Pandey first said he was purchasing a cricket ball and then Sahu stated that he was filling fuel in his bike.
We were baffled as Pandey said he was in a forest and behind Sahu’s college and some stadium,” he said.Though Sahu’s accident was confirmed, there was a question mark over the rape allegations as the police could not find any evidence.
Even Sahu’s family members sounded clueless.Police said Sahu, who made around a dozen calls to the Pandeys after the abduction, also derived sadistic pleasure while describing how he was torturing the teenager by gagging him and hanging him from the tree and leaving him gasping for breath.
Even after murdering Pandey, Sahu kept demanding the beheaded picture of the teen’s uncle until he was nabbed near Borkhedi by a patrolling police team when he was heading towards a petrol pump by dragging his bike.It’s learnt that Sahu made a call to Pandey around 5pm, luring him to join the other boys from the neighbourhood for a cricket tournament.Pandey’s grandfather rued purchasing a cricket gear for the victim.
He had also gifted his grandson a cellphone which turned out to be one of the reasons for his death.MIDC police, after registering a case of kidnapping and murder, also produced Sahu before the court which remanded him in custody till June 14.HOW ACCUSED WAS CAUGHT* Sonegaon police team under sub-inspector Tulsidas Dhakulkar had deputed a cop at the residence of Raj Pandey at Minimata Nagar to notice the timing of the calls from abductor Suraj Sahu* As soon as Sahu called up Pandey’s residence at 11.45 pm, Sonegaon police traced the call to Borkhedi* PSI Dhakulkar and his team rushed to Borkhedi where they spotted a man trying to drag his bike on foot and heading towards the petrol pump* As the bike’s number matched, the cops zeroed in on him.
He was later handed over to MIDC police‘Bhaiya chhod dijiye na, Mangnu ko’Nagpur: Anchal Pandey, the 17-year-old elder sister of deceased Raj, had repeatedly pleaded with abductor Suraj Sahu to set her brother free over the phone.
In an audio clip, which is in now possession of TOI, Anchal can be heard pleading many times, “Bhaiya chhod dijiye na, Mangnu ko, (Brother, please set Mangnu (nickname of Raj) free’.”Sahu was heard saying that Anchal must ensure her uncle Manoj Pandey was beheaded and his pictures sent to him on cellphone after which he will release Raj.
He had left Achal aggrieved saying, “Muh bandh ke rakhe hai, saas lene mein taqleef hai (he is struggling to breath now after being gagged).”Anchal broke down in tears and pleaded with Sahu to remove the gag so that her brother can breathe.
Sahu snapped at her asking to ensure his uncle’s beheaded picture was sent soon.In another audio-clip, also in possession of TOI, Raj’s uncle Manoj, was heard offering himself to the abductor with a request to spare his nephew.