Bhubaneshwar police crack 62-year-old's abduction
BHUBANESWAR: The city police on Thursday arrested five persons for allegedly kidnapping a retired civil supplies officer and demanding Rs 1.5 crore ransom from his family members. The incident took place on March 24 when Manoj Mohapatra (62) went to his under-construction building in Jagannath Nagar under Laxmisagar police limits. Four anti-socials arrived in a car, while one reached the spot on a two-wheeler. They bundled Mohapatra into the car and initially took him to Nimapada. One of the accused Nirod Kumar Swain followed the car and the victim was later taken to a poultry farm in Delang.
The same evening, the kidnappers made Mohapatra call his wife Sandhyarani to inform her that he was in trouble. She complained to the Laxmisagar police station at about 12.05 am on March 25. Then she received a call from the kidnappers around 2 am, who demanded the ransom money for her husband's release. Laxmisagar police and Special Squad personnel launched a search operation and rescued Mohapatra near Uttara the next day while the kidnappers were possibly shifting him to another location. On seeing the police, the kidnappers managed to flee.
Police investigation suggested that Swain's relative was supervising the construction activities at Mohapatra's building. Swain and his associates then made the kidnap plan. "A case was registered in this connection under Section 364A of the IPC. Swain along with his four associates Kunu Nayak, Rajesh Kumar Das, Prakash Nayak and Ananta Panda have been arrested," said DCP Prateek Singh.
All the accused are natives of Puri district. Panda has criminal antecedents and he was earlier booked in a murder case by Puri police, he said. Sources said the police are investigating whether Swain's relative supervising construction activities at Mohapatra's building was also involved in the crime and further action will be initiated accordingly. The police have seized the car used to abduct the victim. Meanwhile, the police have launched a search operation to nab at least two more members of the gang who were part of the kidnapping plot.
TURN OF EVENTS
- Manoj Mohapatra kidnapped from Jagannath Nagar on March 24
- March 24 evening, wife gets call from Mohapatra. Around midnight, she complains Laxmisagar PS
- At around 2 am, kidnappers call and demand ransom money of Rs 1.5 cr
- Police launches search operation the next day and rescues Mohapatra near Uttara
- Kidnappers fled the spot on seeing police, 5 arrested on Thursday