In a chilling case that underscores the growing nexus between cyber deception and organised crime, a Pune-based businessman was kidnapped and murdered in Bihar after being lured under the pretext of a lucrative business deal.
A joint investigation by Maharashtra and Bihar police has led to the arrest of 12 individuals, including the alleged mastermind behind the crime.
The victim, 55-year-old Laxman Sadhu Shinde, a resident of DP Road in Kothrud, Pune, owned a metal casting firm in Khedshivapur. He was reported missing on April 12 after failing to contact his family following a business trip to Patna. Shinde’s body was later discovered in Bihar’s Jehanabad district, within the jurisdiction of Ghosi police station.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3) Sambhaji Kadam, Shinde had been in communication via phone and email with a man identified as Shivraj Sagi regarding a proposed centrifugal casting project.
Lured by what seemed like a genuine opportunity, Shinde boarded a flight to Patna on April 11. Shortly after landing, he contacted his daughter and sent a WhatsApp message around 8:30 pm stating he was en route to a coal mine in Jharkhand to inspect a plant “1200 feet down.”
That was the last time his family heard from him.
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Alarmed by the sudden silence, his family lodged a missing person complaint the following morning. A team of Pune police was immediately dispatched to Patna. With assistance from officers at Patna’s Airport police station, investigators discovered that Shinde had been abducted from just outside the airport.
Further investigation revealed a disturbing modus operandi: the gang, operating across multiple districts, would identify potential targets by thoroughly studying their online presence and business activities. They then used emails, phone calls, and social media to impersonate genuine business entities and lure victims into traveling for fake deals.
“Before murdering Shinde, the accused extorted Rs 90,000 through online transactions,” said an officer involved in the case. Preliminary autopsy reports suggest the victim was strangled to death. After extensive search operations involving police teams from Nalanda, Gaya, and Patna, Shinde’s body was recovered on April 14.
The 12 arrested individuals face charges under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, extortion, and murder committed by a group of five or more individuals.
Police say the investigation points to an organised crime syndicate that combines traditional extortion tactics with modern-day cyber deception.
“This is not just a kidnapping or murder — it’s a well-planned cyber conspiracy with real-world consequences. The gang exploited technology, trust, and opportunity to execute their crime,” DCP Kadam said.