BHUBANESWAR: In a straight out of a Bollyowood flick, a youth along with four miscreants plotted the abduction of his father and demanded a ransom of seven lakh through the latter.
The son identified as Abani Behera had reported the matter to police only to be arrested in course of investigation on Saturday. The incident took place in Tangadhuan village under Betanati police limits in Mayurbhanj district.
Sources said Behera had lodged a complaint with the police on October 10 that his father, Bhagabata Chandra Behera who was returning from Baripada a day back, did not turn up at home.
He mentioned about a message from his father's mobile phone that his father has been abducted by a group which was demanding seven lakh for his safe release. Acting on the complaint, Betanati police registered a case under Sections 364 and 365 of the IPC and began investigation. When the victim's phone was tracked, it revealed varied locations like Bhadrak, Nilagiri, Rairangpur and Balasore which indicated that the abductors were moving with the father, a retired teacher.
Later, the miscreants had demanded a cheque for the ransom money. Police tracked down the ATM card of the man from which `80,000 was withdrawn on two occasions, the police said. The police had asked Abani to block the ATM and and the account of his father, however, he did not comply to the instructions. He blocked the ATM card but not the account. The needle of suspicion pointed towards him from that time, IIC Minati Biswal said.
The police, taking a preventive, blocked the bank account of the man at Jharpokharia branch. When the miscreants tried to encash the cheque at Bhadrak, they failed as the account was already blocked following which they came to the Jharpokharia branch on Thursday.
While the man entered the bank premises, Abani had an interaction with the miscreants at the basement which was captured on CCTV camera. Meanwhile, the police had already mounted surveillance on Abani's movements.
The elderly man was rescued and his son revealed his modus operandi during the first round of interrogation. Abani was the only son and had taken up gambling for which he needed money. While his father had saved his retirement benefits for the wedding of his daughters, Abani planned to loot the money by his unholy act, Biswal added.
Police arrested a kidnapper identified as Ajay Kumar Patra on Friday while two others are still on large. Abani and Ajay were produced in the court and remanded in judicial custody on Saturday.