Even if 25 days have passed to the rescue of Kolkata-based businessman and his driver from the clutch of some kidnappers in Sundargarh, the police have not yet been able to arrest the accused, including the prime accused, in the kidnapping case. Notably, they have been at large ever since.
The police are now conducting search operation at different places to nab the absconders.
Pratik Patodia (31), director of Ashok Multiyarn Mills limited (AMMl), located at Kirei, Sundargarh and his driver Rohit Tanty, had allegedly been kidnapped from Badbahal area on SH 10 on July 22. The staff of AMMl had lodged a preliminary complaint at Bhasma police station of Sundargarh, following which police along with a scientific team had visited the spot and started an investigation. Significantly, Patodia was coming along with his driver in his Tata Safari SUV, after getting down at Jharsuguda from Howara-Koraput Samaleswari Express train.
On July 22 evening, AMMl personnel manager Indra Bahadur Singh had lodged another complaint in police station, wherein he had suspected involvement of one Anil Bansal of Kantabanjhi area under Bolangir district, who also owns a company named as Om Organic Private limited (OOPl). Sources said AMMl had business link with OOPl and there were some business conflicts last year. Hundreds of aggrieved farmers had lodged a FIR in Sundargarh Sadar police station in July 2015, alleging that they had been duped to the tune of about Rs 43 crore, as they had not received their payment against their cotton supply to AMMl through OOPl. AMMl had been claiming that payment had been made where as OOPl had been claiming that payment had not been received.
Sundargarh police had started search operation to rescue Pratik and his driver Rohit but had not been able to trace them. On July 26, Sundargarh police had come to know about the kidnappers’ entry in to Odisha and Bolangir district, following which police had intensified the search operation on July 26 evening, mainly in Kantabanjhi, Saintala and Titilagarh area of Bolangir district. Driver Rohit had managed to escape from the clutch of the kidnappers on July 26 evening and had boarded a train to Jharsuguda from Titilagarh station. The police had got the information following which Rohit was rescued at Jharsuguda station during wee hours on July 27.
later, with aid of Rohit, the police had rescued Pratik from Tikiripara area under Saintala police station, when he was being shifted to another location in a two wheeler. One Mukund Nag, a local of Kantabanjhi, who was carrying Pratik in a two-wheeler, was nabbed on the spot and later, the police had arrested another accused, identified as Sidhartha Kamble, also involved in the kidnapping case. But five other accused, including prime accused Anil Bansal, had absconded.
The police had confirmed that as many as seven persons were involved in the case out of which two had been arrested and five others, including prime accused Bansal, were absconding.
“Our police team is conducting a search operation at different places to arrest five other accused, including prime accused Anil Bansal,” said Sundargarh SP Nikhil Kanoria.