Mumbai Police foil ransom plot, rescue businessman; three arrested

By Sagaya Fernando | February 27, 2025

Mumbai, India – A high-stakes kidnapping case reached its resolution on February 26 as Mumbai Police successfully rescued a 60-year-old businessman and arrested three suspects involved in his abduction. The perpetrators had allegedly lured the victim to Mumbai under false pretext before demanding a hefty ransom from his family.

Kidnapping and Ransom Demand

The incident unfolded when Keshavji Chaudhary, a businessman from Kutch, Gujarat, travelled to Mumbai on February 20, after being promised a lucrative business deal. Once in the city, he was abducted and held captive in a rented office by the accused identified as Radheshyam Soni (30), Satish Yadav (33) and Dharmendra Ravidas (40).

The kidnappers contacted Chaudhary’s son, Mahesh Choudhary, who runs a garment business in Santacruz with his father, and demanded an initial ransom payment of Rs 25 lakh as part of a total demand of Rs 68 lakh. They also issued threats of physical harm if the money was not delivered.

Police Investigation and Arrests

When Mahesh’s father failed to return home and his phone remained switched off, Mahesh received a ransom call, prompting him to report the kidnapping to the authorities. A case was swiftly filed, leading to an intensive investigation by Mumbai’s Zone 8 police.

Under the direction of Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Manish Kalvaniya and Senior Inspector Prakash Khandekar of Vakola police station, officers Sunil Kengar and Vishal Palande mobilized their teams. Utilizing a combination of technical surveillance and intelligence gathering, the police pinpointed the suspects' location in Goregaon. On February 26, all three accused were apprehended, and Chaudhary was safely rescued.

Criminal Connection and Motive

Investigations revealed that Radheshyam Soni had known Chaudhary for five years and was aware of his financial success. Seeing an opportunity for easy money, Soni conspired with Yadav and Ravidas to execute the abduction and extract a ransom from the victim’s family.

Mumbai, located on India’s west coast, is the country’s financial capital and its largest city. The successful resolution of this case highlights the efficiency of Mumbai’s law enforcement agencies in tackling organized crime and ensuring public safety.

Authorities continue to probe deeper into the backgrounds of the accused to determine any potential links to larger criminal networks.