Miscreants posing as police personnel allegedly kidnapped a Bhubaneswar-based builder from the renowned Nemala Mutt near Salepur in Cuttack district in broad daylight on Sunday.
The victim was identified as Subhendu Mohapatra, a resident of Bhimtangi area in Bhubaneswar.
Sources said that while Subhendu’s wife and other members of the family were inside the mutt, six miscreants forcefully bundled him into a SUV and sped away from the spot.
When the locals offered resistance, they identified themselves as cops and asked them not to interfere.
“Six miscreants caught that person and forced him into the vehicle. When we tried to stop them, one of them displayed an identity card and claimed that they are police personnel and the person is a criminal,” said eyewitnesses to the incident.
The Salipur police have begun investigations into the incident following a complaint by the victim’s wife.
Later, police recovered a paper in which the registration number of the vehicle (0R 05 S 1193) was written.