Two held for kidnapping and murdering Karnataka goldsmith

Pune, Oct 15 (PTI) Pune rural police have apprehended two individuals for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a Karnataka-based goldsmith after his family failed to pay a ransom of Rs 5 crore, officials said on Wednesday.

The victim, identified as Manjunath Shejwadkar, was allegedly abducted on October 10 while out for a morning walk in Holalu, located in Karnataka’s Vijayanagar district.

The accused — Yogesh Beseteppa (24) and Mallikarjun Ujjammanavra (25), both residents of Holalu — told police they had killed Shejwadkar after his family failed to pay a ransom of Rs 5 crore, and claimed to have dumped his body in the Tungabhadra River in Karnataka, officials said.

"After the kidnapping, the local police station in Karnataka informed us that the unidentified accused had fled to Shirur tehsil in Pune district. During the search operation, the two were traced and arrested," said Sandesh Kenjale, senior police inspector of Shirur police station.

During interrogation, the duo allegedly confessed that they abducted the goldsmith during his morning walk, forced him into the trunk of a car, and later made the ransom demand to his family, Kenjale said.

When the ransom was not paid, they allegedly killed him and disposed of the body in the Tungabhadra river before fleeing to Maharashtra, he said.

The arrested accused have been handed over to the Hire Hadagali police station in Karnataka, where the kidnapping case was registered, the officer added. PTI SPK NSK