27 held in kidnapping, murder cases

Twenty-seven people, belonging to two different notorious criminal gangs, were remanded to five-day police custody by a local court in three separate cases of kidnapping, extortion and murder.
According to police, a local history-sheeter Bhim Pagare and nine members of his gang had allegedly kidnapped a 26-year-old Swapnil Gosavi on May 10 and demanded ransom of Rs four lakh from his family members.
After getting Rs 70,000 as first installment on that day, Pagare gave two days time to the family to pay the remaining amount.
However, when Pagare was going to Rajiv Nagar locality, he was allegedly shot dead by members of 'Changle gang' on the same night, police said, adding Rs 55,000 in cash was found in Pagare's pockets.

According to police, leader of the Changle gang, Mohan Changle, was murdered in May 2013.
Police suspect that Pagare had ordered his killing and therefore he was eliminated by the Changle gang to avenge the murder.

Five persons are at large in connection with the murder.
After a thorough search, police arrested 13 members on Sunday and another 14 members on the next day in connection with these cases.
All the 27 accused were produced yesterday before a local court which remanded them in police custody till May 16.