Industrialist released

PUNE, DEC. 9. Industrialist, Mr. Harish Garware, who along with his driver was released by his captors near Lonawala on Friday, was brought back here, police said today.

``We have no information of any ransom being paid and suspect that the industrialist was released on promise of payment,'' Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. M.C. Mulani, said.

Mr. Garware along with his driver was kidnapped by unidentified persons on December 5 for a ransom of Rs.1 crore. Mr. Mulani said they released Mr. Garware at Peint from where he called his wife and informed her that he was leaving for Lonavala. Mr. Garware's relatives informed police who brought him back here.

Mr. Garware told police that four kidnappers brandishing a revolver came in a white Maruti car and overtook his vehicle one kilometer away from `Chahegaon'. They blindfolded him and his driver and took them to Peint.

The driver, Mr. Unnikrishanan, told police that there were five kidnappers in the age group 30-35, speaking Marathi. The ACP said the registration number of their car was not yet known. He said police have not been able to identify the kidnappers who used to call Mr. Garware's residence or mobile from somewhere between Pune and Mumbai. Since the AT&T towers could not detect the exact location, it was difficult to trace the callers, he said.

- PTI

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