Police rescue contractor kidnapped for Rs 40 lakh in Balasore

Two weeks after kidnap and rescue of a contractor from Bhubaneswar, police have released another contractor from his abductors in Bhadrak district.

Speaking to media persons on Thursday, Balasore SP Sagarika Nath said Nirabala Kundu, the wife of contractor Sibanand Patra, on Wednesday night filed a complaint at Talsari police station alleging that her husband had been kidnapped from near Chandaneswar.

She also stated that the kidnappers demanded Rs 40 lakh as ransom to release Patra and she had paid Rs 5 lakh in cash and the rest amount in cheques.

After registering the case, the police started investigation and came to know that Patra was abducted in a red colour car. Two separate teams, one of Cyber police and another from Talsari police station, were formed to trace Patra. While one team went to Mayurbhanj, another headed for Balasore.

After tracking the mobile phones used by the kidnappers to make the ransom call, the police traced them in a hotel near Balasore railway station. During a raid on Thursday, the police rescued Patra and arrested the kidnapper.

The kidnapper was identified as another contractor Suman Varun Dey of Balasore. Both contractors were known to each other for a long time, the SP said.

It may be noted that Commissionerate Police had rescued a contractor from Bhubaneswar on March 20, two days after he was kidnapped from near his house in the city.