Bhubaneswar: City police on Thursday arrested six college students for allegedly kidnapping a Plus II student on Wednesday night to settle an old financial dispute. The victim was rescued unharmed the same night.
According to police, the 17-year-old was riding with a friend on a scooter to his father's shop in Ghatikia area under Bharatpur police limits when a group of miscreants intercepted them and forced him into a vehicle.
The boy's friend immediately alerted his father, who lodged a police complaint. The father also reported receiving a ransom call demanding Rs 1 lakh for his son's safe release.
"Two of our personnel posed as family members of the victim and carried Rs 1 lakh cash to meet the kidnappers at a house in VSS Nagar. Our team overpowered the accused and rescued the boy within two hours of the incident," commissioner of police S Dev Datta Singh said.
Police said the six accused, aged between 19 and 20, are preparing for BTech and other technical courses in the city.
"The kidnappers claimed the victim had borrowed some money from them and refused to return it. Such cases are risky as known persons often try to harm victims fearing exposure. We executed the rescue operation with utmost care to ensure his safety," Singh added.
All six accused have been arrested and are being interrogated. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact nature of the financial dispute and any other criminal involvement.
