Three girl students of the Ravenshaw College were allegedly abducted from Cuttack on December 19 and found abandoned on a roadside in Kharagpur of West Bengal.
The incident took place in broad daylight while the trio was travelling in an auto-rickshaw to Badambadi. But no probe has been initiated so far.
Reports said two Plus Two Arts students, one hailing from Korei area in Jajpur district and another from Dhusuri in Bhadrak district, of the Ravenshaw College were inmates of a private hostel.
They hired an auto-rickshaw at around 2.15 pm on the fateful day for Badambadi Bus Stand from where they were supposed to head to their native places.
On the way, they picked up another girl, a Plus Three student of the Ravenshaw College, who was waiting for the duo to travel to Badambadi for purchasing some medicines.
Reportedly, the auto-rickshaw driver stopped the vehicle near the Ranihat canal to buy betel. After sometime, he returned and allegedly made them unconscious by spraying chemicals on their faces.
After two students did not reach their houses by evening, their family members tried to contact them on their phones, which were found switched off.
Later, they contacted the hostel staffs and other friends to know whereabouts of missing girls but went in vain.
Sources said that the three were kidnapped in an SUV after they become unconscious in the auto-rickshaw. They found themselves abandoned on a roadside in Kharagpur when they woke up at around 7.55 pm on the same day. They managed to reach the Kharagpur Railway Station and with help of railway police, they contacted their families.
On receiving information, the panicked family members rushed to Kharagpur to rescue them. After showing required documents proving their identities, the police handed over the victims to the family members. The victims alleged that the abductors abandoned them after looting their cash. But their phones, which were switched off, were found in their bags.
Police sources said that a abandoned SUV was spotted near the road while vehicle checking was being conducted on the National Highway in Kharagpur. It is suspected that the abductors might have dumped the victims on the road due to the police checking and fled from the area abandoning the vehicle.
Latest reports said that the rescued victims are admitted to private hospitals. While one complaint was lodged in Bhadrak, two students would file their complaints with the Commissionerate police after recovery.