Navy sailor abducted, burnt alive for Rs 10 lakh ransom in Maharashtra's Palghar

The Navy sailor, identified as Suraj Kumar Dubey was returning from vacation on January 30 when he was abducted by three men at gun point outside Chennai Airport. The abductors demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh and kept him captive for three days before setting him on fire at a jungle in Palghar on Friday morning.

Palghar: A 26-year-old Navy sailor who had been abducted in Chennai on January 30 was set on fire by the kidnappers in jungles of Maharashtra's Palghar district. The Navy officer succumed to his burn injuries while he was rushed to a hospital, the police said on Saturday.

Suraj Kumar Dubey, the victim, died while he was being shifted to hospital in Mumbai on Friday, district police said. Dubey, who hailed from Ranchi, was posted at INS Agrani near Coimbatore, said Palghar district police spokesperson Sachin Navadkar. As per the preliminary information, when he was returning from vacation on January 30, three men abducted him at gun point outside Chennai Airport around 9 pm and demanded ransom of Rs 10 lakh.

He was kept captive in Chennai for three days and later shifted to area near Vevji in Talasari area of Palghar district of Maharashtra, close to Mumbai and 1,400 km away from the Tamil Nadu capital. On Friday morning, the abductors tied his hands and legs and set him on fire in jungles near Gholvad, and fled leaving him for dead, police said. Dubey managed to run away and with the help of some locals, reached Dahanu Primary Health Centre. As he had more than 90 per cent burn injuries, he was rushed to the naval hospital in Mumbai but he died on the way, police said. Before dying, he narrated the ordeal to police, Navadkar said.

A Navy spokesperson said that Dubey was on leave when he was abducted and found in Palghar with 90 per cent burns on Friday morning. He was brought to INHS Asvini -- the Navy hospital -- but was declared dead on arrival.

A case of murder under section 302 of IPC and other relevant sections has been registered against the unidentified trio and probe is on, the district police spokesperson said.

Mithilesh Dubey, father of Suraj Kr Dubey demanded justice for his son. News agency ANI quoted him saying, "I want justice for my son. That's the message I want to get across via media. He gave statement before dying that he was kidnapped & imprisoned for 3 days, being made an object of ransom. He was then brought to Palghar and burnt to death."