Keonjhar: Nimananda Pradhan, the vice-president of a mines and minerals company in Barbil, and his driver Md Firoz, who were missing since Feb 12, returned home safely on Wednesday. The circumstances surrounding their week-long disappearance remain unclear with both the victims and their respective families maintaining silence on the matter.
Sources familiar with the investigation said police have detained a suspect in connection with the case which has a possible cybercrime angle. However, authorities have kept the details under wraps. When contacted, inspector in-charge of Barbil police station, Ashok Kumar Nayak, said, “Details will be shared soon.”
On Feb 12, Pradhan left his office around 7:30pm but did not return home. When his family tried calling him and his driver, both their cell phones were switched off. The family subsequently filed a missing complaint with the Barbil police.
During its investigation, police reviewed CCTV footage of the company premises and Barbil town and conducted searches extending into the neighbouring state of Jharkhand.
Local sources claimed that the case might have involved kidnapping, with police working to apprehend the entire gang before making public statements.