BARIPADA: A contractor from Baisinga block was arrested from Haryana on Saturday for allegedly kidnapping a woman and her two-and-a-half-year-old child from Tilapada village. The accused, Chandan, a resident of Dhamra in Bhadrak district, is believed to be a serial offender and allegedly involved in trafficking and murder cases. The victim, a resident of Baghamara village within Nilagiri police limits in Balasore district had gone missing along with her son on November 23.
Her husband Kartika Singh said the victim was asked by her sister Mani Dehuri and one Manju Majhi to come to her father’s house in Tilapada village. She reached Tilapada on November 22. However, her father Biranchi Dehuri was not at home. Kartika said he was informed by his relative Rabi Dehuri that Manju and Mani had sold his wife and son to Chandan for Rs 50,000. He then went to Baisinga police station to file a missing report. However, an ASI there asked to file the complaint with Nilagiri police station in Balasore district.
Later, Kartika informed the matter to Union Minister of State for MSME Pratap Sarangi who directed officials concerned to register the missing report at Baisinga police station. Kartika said Chandan had called him and sought Rs 50,000 to release his wife and son. Baisinga police with the help of their counterparts from Haryana rescued the woman and the child.
A New Delhi based journalist had suspected it to be a case of trafficking and had intimated the matter to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Mayurbhanj. On December 23, the committee had directed Mayurbhanj SP to expedite investigation into the matter. Sources said Chandan could be a resident of Bangladesh and he keeps changing his name frequently. Baisinga IIC LD Swain the accused and the victims were sent to hospital for medical tests. He said further investigation into the matter is on.