Gang used snakes to demand Rs 2cr ransom from 4 finance co staffers; 1 held
Berhampur/Bhubaneswar: A gang of criminals allegedly abducted four employees of a private finance company in Ganjam district and in an unusual tactic, used three snakes to threaten them for a ransom of Rs 2 crore, police said.
The incident, which took place on Jan 22, came to light on Monday when K Nuagaon police arrested one of the accused, Pruthibiraj Sahu (24), and rescued the four victims. Police are searching for at least four other suspects.
The police also recovered the snakes and handed them over to forest officials. One of the snakes was found injured.
“During questioning, Pruthibiraj told us that another member provided the three snakes. The suspects repeatedly brought the snakes near the victims to frighten them into providing the ransom amount. We have identified the gang’s mastermind, who is a notorious criminal of Berhampur. Antecedents of the members of the gang are being verified,” Berhampur SP, Saravana Vivek M, said.
While police continue their investigation into the link between the gang and the rescued victims, sources suggested a possible failed cannabis transaction could be the motive.
The rescued individuals — Rabindra Kumar (49) from New Delhi, Brahmananda Patra (45) and Ahemad Khan (56) of Tulasipur in Cuttack and Amarjit Samantasinhar (24) of Naharakanta in Bhubaneswar — said they were employees of a private financial organisation.
According to their statements, Kumar had recently arrived in Bhubaneswar from Delhi. The group intended to visit Berhampur to meet a businessman seeking a loan from their company. Upon reaching Berhampur, they said the accused and his associates abducted them and demanded ransom.
The perpetrators held them captive in an abandoned building in Kerandimal forest near Chikiti.
Samantasinhar escaped and alerted authorities at the nearby Chikiti tehsil office on Monday morning. Police subsequently rescued the remaining three victims. While Pruthibiraj was arrested, his accomplices fled.
“We have doubts over accounts of victims and suspect a cannabis transaction might be the actual reason for their meeting. The deal might have gone wrong for which the criminals demanded money from the four men. More clarity will emerge after we arrest the gang members on the run,” another police officer said.
The incident, which took place on Jan 22, came to light on Monday when K Nuagaon police arrested one of the accused, Pruthibiraj Sahu (24), and rescued the four victims. Police are searching for at least four other suspects.
The police also recovered the snakes and handed them over to forest officials. One of the snakes was found injured.
“During questioning, Pruthibiraj told us that another member provided the three snakes. The suspects repeatedly brought the snakes near the victims to frighten them into providing the ransom amount. We have identified the gang’s mastermind, who is a notorious criminal of Berhampur. Antecedents of the members of the gang are being verified,” Berhampur SP, Saravana Vivek M, said.
While police continue their investigation into the link between the gang and the rescued victims, sources suggested a possible failed cannabis transaction could be the motive.
The rescued individuals — Rabindra Kumar (49) from New Delhi, Brahmananda Patra (45) and Ahemad Khan (56) of Tulasipur in Cuttack and Amarjit Samantasinhar (24) of Naharakanta in Bhubaneswar — said they were employees of a private financial organisation.
According to their statements, Kumar had recently arrived in Bhubaneswar from Delhi. The group intended to visit Berhampur to meet a businessman seeking a loan from their company. Upon reaching Berhampur, they said the accused and his associates abducted them and demanded ransom.
The perpetrators held them captive in an abandoned building in Kerandimal forest near Chikiti.
Samantasinhar escaped and alerted authorities at the nearby Chikiti tehsil office on Monday morning. Police subsequently rescued the remaining three victims. While Pruthibiraj was arrested, his accomplices fled.
“We have doubts over accounts of victims and suspect a cannabis transaction might be the actual reason for their meeting. The deal might have gone wrong for which the criminals demanded money from the four men. More clarity will emerge after we arrest the gang members on the run,” another police officer said.
