The son of senior Shiv Sena leader and former minister Tanaji Sawant was forcefully brought back from what was supposed to be his vacation trip to Bangkok after his father registered a kidnapping case. According to news agency PTI, Rishiraj Sawant (32) and his two friends had booked a chartered plane for Bangkok, but an anonymous call disrupted their travel plans. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said that the former Maharashtra minister informed them that two people had "taken his son forcefully" on a flight to Bangkok.
The police registered a kidnapping case following an anonymous call that claimed the 32-year-old son of the Shiv Sena leader had been kidnapped. “Our police control room received a call around 4 pm in which an anonymous caller informed us that Rishiraj was taken away by some unidentified people. Accordingly, we swung into action and registered a kidnapping offence," Ranjan Kumar Sharma, joint commissioner of police, told PTI.
“During the probe, it was revealed that Rishiraj, along with his two friends, had booked a chartered plane for Bangkok. We tracked the flight and contacted the airline for the aircraft’s return. The flight has now returned to Pune with three passengers, including Rishiraj,” informed Sharma.
However, the former minister later clarified that his son was not kidnapped and was on a trip with his friends. "We were just worried because he left for the airport without informing me or my elder son," Tanaji Sawant said.
The Shiv Sena leader told PTI that he called the police after learning that his son had left for the airport in someone else’s car. “We will enquire and find out the purpose of his trip to Bangkok and why he did not inform the family about his travel plans,” the police officer said.
While replying to a question, Tanaji Sawant denied any dispute with his son. According to police sources, the flight to the Thailand capital was booked for Rs 78 lakh.