Thane: Cook accuses former employer of kidnapping him

A 22-year-old cook has accused his former employer, a hotelier, of kidnapping him and forcing him to work at her restaurant. The cook, Sanju Sokasingh Rana, also claimed his former employer, 35-year-old Ashwini Hadke, ordered two other employees to hold him hostage, police said.

According to Kasarwadavli police, Sanju had lodged a non-cognizable offence against Hadke in April. “He used to work at her restaurant in Hiranandani estate as a cook. But because of poor pay, he quit and joined another restaurant. Hadke kept asking him to come back or face dire consequences,” said Inspector Nasir Kulkarni.

On May 4, Sanju’s wife Lakshmi told police that her husband had been abducted. According to police, Sanju was rescued from a hotel near Hiranandani hospital. “We have arrested two people, Krushna Rajesh Patel (19) and Dipu Premlal Adivasi (22). They said they participated in the kidnapping and held Rana hostage at the behest of Hadke,” said a senior police officer.