An Indian businessman yesterday appeared in court for threatening to kidnap his mechanic and taking away his US$3 300 on different occasions as a way of punishing him for failing to repair his vehicle.
He also threatened the mechanic that he would take him to India to have his kidney removed for sale so he could recover the value of his car which was still under repair.
Sankpal Shekhar Ashokrao (29 ) is facing three charges of kidnapping, theft, and unlawful conduct with a motor vehicle.
He was remanded out of custody to July 13.
The complainant in the matter is 22-year-old mechanic Panashe Karimusango who used to service Ashokrao’s Discovery 3 sports vehicle.
The State alleged that sometime between May and June 2023 at around 8pm and at stand number 08 Campbell Road, Karimusango was at work when Ashokrao arrived to collect his vehicle which he had been repairing since 2022.
Karimusango told him that he was yet to finish servicing the vehicle and Ashokrao became impatient and started dragging him into a motor vehicle which he came driving and forced him inside.
While inside, the court heard that Ashokrao punched Karimusango several times stating that he was taking him to Warren Park area before airlifting him to India for a kidney removal which he intended to sell in a bid to recover the monetary value of his Discovery 3 Sport motor vehicle which Karimusango had stripped and failed to repair.
Out of fear Karimusango bought his freedom after he offered him a residential stand situated in Dema and a Land Rover Sport motor vehicle.
On the second count, the State alleged Ashokrao visited Karimusango demanding his motor vehicle. When he was told to be patient Ashokrao forcefully searched the mechanic’s pockets and took away cash amounting to US$1 300.
He then drove away indicating that he was not done with Karimusango until he recovered the value of his vehicle.
Ashokrao came back for the third time and fished US$300 from his pocket and went away and on another day he took away US$1 700 which Karimusango had placed on the dashboard.
The total value stolen is US$3 300 and nothing was recovered.
On the last count, Karimusango went to his workplace driving a Land Rover motor vehicle that belonged to a customer and was on a road test when he was seen by Ashokrao.
He inquired about his vehicle which he was told was not yet ready and out of anger he took away the vehicle of the client and drove it away to Warren Park where resides.
Ashokrao kept it for two weeks and returned it after the owner of the vehicle demanded his motor vehicle from Karimusango.
Karimusango then filed a report to the police leading to Ashokrao’s arrest.
Source ZimSituation
