The abduction case of businessman Pradeep Kundu in Sundargarh district still remains a mystery and although the businessman was allegedly abducted one month ago and returned to his home of his own after four days of his kidnapping, the Sundargarh police have not yet revealed about the kidnappers and also how he was freed.
Sundargarh district, being a mining belt, PLFI, Pahadi Chitta and other criminal organisations target industrialists and businessmen for extortion or for huge ransom. Four high profile abduction incidents have taken place in Sundargarh district since 2003.
In the year 2003, one Kedar Khedia, an industrialist of Civil Township, Rourkela, had been abducted from road and a ransom of Rs 1.5 crore had been demanded to free him. But after a few days of his kidnapping, police had rescued him from an abandoned house near Dumdum airport.
On January 24, 2004, another industrialist of Rajgangpur Sawarmal Gadodia , while returning by his car, had been abducted from near Karamdih on SH 10 in Sundargarh district. The kidnappers had demanded ransom of Rs 5 crore. A special squad of Sundargarh police had searched him and after 16 days of his kidnapping, Sundargarh police with the help of Chhatisgarh police , had rescued Gadodia from a firm of one Birendra Jayaswal of Sankargarh. Police had nabbed eight persons including prime accused Roshan Ali. The abductors had been nabbed before taking ransom in this case.
On July 22, 2016, one Pratik Patodia, a Kolkata based businessman, owner of a spinning mill located at Kirei in Sundargarh district and his driver Rohit Tanty, had been abducted from Badabahal area on SH 10 in Sundargarh district while Patodia was going by a four wheeler from Jharsuguda station to his spinning mill and the mastermind behind the kidnapping was one Anil Bansal, a businessman of Kantabanji of Balangir district. Bansal alongwith his five associates had abducted Pratik Patodia because Patodia had allegedly purchased cotton from Bansal but had failed to pay to him about Rs 4.3 crore. Under the leadership of the then Sundargarh SP Nikhil Kanodia and with the support of Chhatisgarh police, the Madhya Pradesh police, Balangir police and Sundargarh police, Patodia and his driver had been rescued within five days of the kidnapping. Police had arrested all accused in the case. The prime accused Bansal had been arrested after about six months of rescue of Patodia.
On November 7, 2020, Pradeep Kundu, a Rourkela based businessman, was allegedly abducted near Bijabahal in Sundargarh district by a group of miscreants. Kundu had left for home at Birmitrapur from his crusher unit at Bijabahal in his car around 7.30 pm November 7 but had not reached his home even after several hours. Family members tried to contact him over his mobile phone but he did not respond following which they approached police. Police had found his car and his phone, besides an injection syringe in the car alongwith a letter demanding a ransom of Rs 1 crore to release the businessman. The wife of businessman Kundu had also allegedly received ransom call. The Sundargarh police had formed six squads and had also sent a squad outside the State, to rescue Kundu but Kundu had surprised everyone as he had returned to his house of his own on November 11. After his return to his home, it has not yet been clear whether the kidnappers freed him or he paid the ransom amount.