Post News Network
Berhampur, Sept 3: A builder and his driver were drugged and looted by unidentified miscreants at Gopalpur Panthanivas in Ganjam district on the pretext of cutting a business deal Wednesday night.
The miscreants, who were talking in Hindi, fled with a car, a gold necklace and a gold ring from the builder.
Family members of the builder, N Nanda Gopal (52), rescued him along with his driver Lingaraj Sahu (47) from a Panthanivas room and admitted them to a hospital Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Gopalpur police reached the hospital and recorded the statements of the builder and his driver.
According to sources, Gopal, a resident of second lane of Gandhinagar, received a call on his phone Wednesday and the caller told him that a group of four businessmen from Delhi had come to Gopalpur to buy land.
In the evening, Gopal along with his driver Sahu of Gangadhar Sahi in Puruna Berhampur went to meet the ‘businessmen’ at Gopalpur in his car (OD-07F-0019). He met them at Gopalpur Panthanivas, where the four stayed.
As Gopal did not return, his family called him over phone at 10 pm Wednesday, said Gopal’s son N Santosh. But he did not pick up the call. The family later called his driver Sahu, who told them that they would leave for home after having dinner at Mayfair, he added.
They did not return after an hour later and the family again called him on his phone. This time also Gopal did not receive the call. Another person picked the phone and told the family that Gopal and his driver were having their dinner in the hotel. He was talking in Hindi.
Late in the night his family members received a message from an unknown number. The SMS read that the land deal has been finalised and that all of them are going to have sweets in the morning. The family members were relaxed after getting the SMS.
However, they were worried as the duo did not return the next morning. In the meantime, Panthanivas staff knocked on the door to serve the businessmen with tea in the morning. It was locked from inside. Gopal managed to open the door and informed his family about the matter.
His family rushed to the place and rescued them. They admitted the duo to the MKCG. During treatment, it was found out that they were drugged. Police have started an investigation.
