A non-Odia industrialist and driver of his vehicle were allegedly kidnapped from Badbahal under the Bhasma police station in Sundargarh district on Friday.
The Sundargarh SP Nikhil Kanoria rushed to the spot and, on his direction, the police began a search operation to rescue the businessman and the driver.
Sources said Pratik Patodia (30), a resident of Kolkata, owns the Ashoka Multiyarn Mills ltd located at Kirei in Sundargarh. Pratik is the 2nd son of industrialist Pawan Patodia.
On Thursday night, Pratik had left Kolkata for Sundargarh to visit the factory. He came by the Samleswari Express and arrived at Jharsuguda on Friday morning. From there, he was coming in a Tata Safari sent by the Ashoka Multiyarn to receive him. One Rohit Tanty was driving the vehicle.
But when he didn’t reach the factory within an expected time, factory officials telephoned to driver Tanty but it was swith-off. Then the left for Jharsuguda railway station to know about delay. But they were astonished to say that the Tata Safari was parked on the roadside at Babahal and Pratik’s a pair of goggles lying on the ground.
A staff of the Ashoka Multiyarn lodged a complaint at the Bhasma police station at around 12.30 pm on the day.
“We have already started an investigation and are trying to rescue both the businessman and the driver,” SP Nikhil Kanoria.