Three persons, including a contract labourer of Essar Steel Project, were allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint here late on Sunday. The abductors have demanded Rs 4-lakh ransom.
Confirming the incident, the police said Pravat Tarai (36) of Paradipgarh area, along with his nephew Ratnakar Dalai and a friend, had gone for a drive on their motorcycle near the seashore of Nehru Bangla area. They were allegedly kidnapped from there but the abductors later released their friend.
They then called Tarai’s wife for Rs 4 lakh and even threatened to abduct his sister, if the family refused to pay.
Meanwhile, the abductors have switched off their phone.
Tarai’s brother has lodged an FIR in Paradip police station and a case has been registered in this connection.
Tarai worked as a contract labourer at Essar while his nephew Dalai was engaged as a welder in a Goa-based company, said Paradip police station IIC Anil Mishra and attributed the incident to some family dispute since the friend was released unharmed.