Bhubaneshwar, Jan 27 The Berhampur Police has rescued four persons including a finance company agent of New Delhi who were kidnapped for Rs 2 crore ransom. They were rescued from an abandoned house in the Chikiti area of Ganjam district.
Police also came to know that the accused used to threaten to kill the victims through snakebite and three snakes have been rescued from the crime scene.
The police also managed to apprehend one of the accused kidnappers, Pruthibiraj Sahu of K Nuagaon area in Ganjam district, during the rescue of the victims.
Police have initiated a probe into the matter by registering a case on the basis of a complaint lodged by one of the victims, Amarjit Samanta Singhara (24) of Pahala area in Bhubaneshwar.
"It is learnt that the accused persons Pruthibiraj Sahu and others made a criminal conspiracy and called the complainant and his three other friends to Berhampur with the pretext of finance for one of their projects by one finance company namely Foreminix. Ind. Pvt. Ltd," said a senior Police official on Monday.
Subsequently, the complainant Singhara with finance agent, Rabindra Kumar of Delhi, and two others from Cuttack arrived at Berhampur on January 23.
"Soon after they arrived at Berhampur the accused persons took the the victims to a place at Golanthara by two vehicles and wrongfully confined them in a building there. The kidnappers also demanded Rs 2 crore as ransom and threatened that if not paid they would kill them," added the police official.
Police sources also informed that the accused persons assaulted the victims during the confinement. Police sources also revealed that the accused persons shifted the victims and kept them in Kerandimal Jungle in the Chikiti area. They further assaulted the complainant and financial agent saying they wouldn't be released until the payment of Rs 2 crore to the accused persons.
On January 26 morning, the complainant Singhara managed to escape from the clutches of the accused persons and rushed to Chikiti Tahasil Office where he narrated the whole matter before the staff.
On being informed, the K. Nuagaon police proceeded to Tahasil Office and rescued the complainant.
Later, Police along with the complainant went to the confinement place and rescued the finance agent and other victims.
"During the rescue, three snakes that were used to threaten the victims were also found. The forest department has been intimated and they are taking lawful action for possession of snakes. Based on the written report this case was registered and is under investigation," informed the police official.
--IANS
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor