Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police Friday arrested three drug peddlers who had been demanding ransom for the release of a youth who they had kidnapped along with an SUV from Xavier Square here Wednesday night. The arrested were identified as Sakil Khan, 36, and Sk Tahir Ali, 26, of Mahanga area in Cuttack and Sanidhya Mohanty, 30, Byree in Jajpur.
According to sources, the prime accused Sakil, a ganja trader, used to procure ganja from one Kalia of Bhapur under Fateh Garh police limits in Nayagarh. Sakil reportedly had given Kalia Rs 2, 80,000 in October against a fresh consignment of ganja. The victim, Sunil Mohanty, of the same village was present at the spot when Sakil handed over the cash to Kalia.
However, Kalia did not turn up after taking the money despite repeated phone calls by Sakil. An enraged Sakil later hatched a plan to kidnap Kalia and started following the vehicle bearing the registered number he had traced.
Sunil, who was returning from a garage at Xavier Square, was kidnapped by Sakil and his henchmen Wednesday night.
The kidnappers paid no heed to Sunil’s plea who told them that he had no links with Kalia. He told them that Kalia only hired his vehicle to Bhubaneswar on the day the deal was struck between Kalia and Sakil.
However, kidnappers asked Sunil’s family to pay Rs 3 lakh for his release. Subsequently, Sunil’s father lodged a complaint with the Infocity police who started a probe into the matter by registering a case (238/19).
The accused were produced before the court that sent the trio to jail.
