Bhubaneswar: Kharvela Nagar Police foiled a kidnapping-for-ransom attempt near the Master Canteen railway station area under Kharavela Nagar police limits and rescued a youth, arresting four persons in this connection, officials said Sunday.
The accused have been identified as Asish Kumar Nayak (21), Chinmaya Kumar Behera (28), Pranab Kumar Behera (23), and Dipak Kumar Sahoo (22).
According to police, the incident occurred around 7:30 am April 11 near Master Canteen Square, when the complainant, Amardip Dung Dung (30), and his friend Ashish Minj had just booked a cab.
A car arrived at the spot, and a group of miscreants forcibly abducted Minj before fleeing the scene.
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The accused later contacted the complainant from different phone numbers, demanding a ransom of Rs 15 lakh for the victim’s safe release and threatening to kill him.
During the investigation, police tracked the victim’s mobile location and, based on technical inputs and necessary approvals, reached the Jatni Gate area where the suspected vehicle was identified.
Minj was rescued safely from the vehicle.
Four accused present at the spot were apprehended, while one accomplice managed to escape.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to their involvement and revealed that the crime stemmed from a business dispute with the victim.
Police seized the vehicle used in the crime along with four mobile phones during the investigation.
Verification of records revealed that Ashish was involved in three previous cases at Nayapalli, Bharatpur, and Bhawanipatna Town police stations, while Dipak has one case registered at Chandanpur police station.
The accused have been forwarded to the court, and further investigation into the case is underway, police said.