A case has been registered against 17 people following an alleged attempted kidnapping of a Congress councillor on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, which is also known as the Samruddhi Expressway.
The incident involved Rajesh Adoor, a councillor from Chandrapur, who was travelling with his wife and companions in a private bus from Pune to Nagpur.
According to police reports, the group was intercepted near Ganeshpur Shivar, close to Sawangi, by masked men travelling in four-wheelers. Video footage of the incident, which has circulated online, reportedly shows the assailants wearing masks and issuing threats to the councillor.
One of the accused, identified as Saurabh Thombare, is alleged to have demanded that Adoor speak to an individual named 'Sohelbhai Shaikh' and accompany them, threatening lethal consequences if he refused.
When Adoor and his companions raised an alarm and resisted, the attackers fled the scene. However, one suspect -- named Conen Shamim Siddiqui -- was arrested at the location by those present.
Officers from Sawangi police station have filed a case against Saurabh Thombare, Conen Shamim Siddiqui, and 15 others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to attempted kidnapping, criminal intimidation, and related offences.
An investigation is underway to identify the remaining accused, establish the motive behind the incident, and determine any possible connections to the named 'Sohelbhai Shaikh'.
