Redekar kidnap, murder: Gang wanted dad

Belagavi: After a speedy investigation into the sensational kidnap and murder of young businessman Rohan Redekar of Belagavi, the police on Friday filed a 300-page chargesheet in the case before the Belagavi district court against all the eight accused. But two of the accused, including mastermind Rashid Malabari, are still absconding.

It came to light that the eight member gang, headed by Malabari, wanted to kidnap Rohan’s father Suresh Redekar, but instead picked up the younger businessman at the last moment. The Malabari gang wanted to abduct Suresh with the hope of getting crores of rupees as ransom. The gang had got information about Redekar's business and profits through Nazir Nadaf, former president of Belagavi Zilla Panchayat and one of the accused in the case.

On February 2, 2015, the day of the crime, they abducted Rohan by mistake. Malabari's men realised their folly only when they reached Chorla Ghat on Goa-Karnataka border. The gang took away a gold chain, finger ring and a debit card from Rohan before killing him at the ghat and disposing of the body in the deep jungles of the Western Ghats.

The police were without a clue in the case for a long time. They cracked it only after some of the accused in connection with the kidnap of a local builder, Sharif Yargatti, were arrested in May this year. During the interrogation, it came to light that the Malabari gang was involved in the murder of Rohan Redekar. Nazir Nadaf’s role in the crime too was revealed, leading to the arrest of six of the accused in the first week of February.

Nadaf was a reasonably successful businessman before he grew close to the underworld in Belagavi. His popularity helped him win the election as the Belagavi ZP president and he completed his term successfully. 

The police said that Nadaf had helped Redekars grow their business. When he started facing losses in his own business, he was desperate to tap into other sources to make up for the losses and that was when he started getting close to Malabari.

Malabari was a regular guest at Nadaf's farmhouse at Asundi, near Saudatti. During one of Malabari’s stays, Nadaf gave information about Redekar's financial position and business. A plan to kidnap Redekar was also hatched at the farmhouse.

On February 2, when Rohan came out of his shop at Gandhi Nagar late in the evening and drove his car towards the national highway bypass, Malabari rammed his car into Rohan's. When Rohan stopped his car, Malabari pushed Rohan into his Innova car and took him with his gang to Chorla Ghat.