Maha: Abducted Navy sailor burnt alive, hunt on for kidnappers

A 26-year-old Navy sailor who hadbeen abducted in Chennai on January 30 was set on fire by thekidnappers in jungles of Maharashtra's Palghar district and hedied of injuries, the police said on Saturday.

Suraj Kumar Dubey, the victim, died while he wasbeing shifted to hospital in Mumbai on Friday, district policesaid.

Dubey, who hailed from Ranchi, was posted at INSAgrani near Coimbatore, said Palghar district policespokesperson Sachin Navadkar.

As per the preliminary information, when he wasreturning from vacation on January 30, three men abducted himat gun point outside Chennai Airport around 9 pm and demandedransom of Rs 10 lakh.

He was kept captive in Chennai for three days andlater shifted to area near Vevji in Talasari area of Palghardistrict of Maharashtra, close to Mumbai and 1,400 km awayfrom the Tamil Nadu capital.

On Friday morning, the abductors tied his hands andlegs and set him on fire in jungles near Gholvad, and fledleaving him for dead, police said.

Dubey managed to run away and with the help of somelocals, reached Dahanu Primary Health Centre.

As he had more than 90 per cent burn injuries, he wasrushed 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 whenhe was abducted and found in Palghar with 90 per cent burns onFriday 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 otherrelevant sections has been registered against the unidentifiedtrio and probe is on, the district police spokesperson said.

PTI COR DCKRK KRK