Daijiworld Media Network- Bhubaneshwar

Bhubaneswar, Apr 23: In a swift and coordinated operation, the Commissionerate Police on Tuesday rescued a nine-year-old boy from Odisha’s Khurdha district just six hours after he was abducted, and arrested seven individuals, including two women, in connection with the crime.

The incident took place in the Nirakarpur area, with the child, identified as Pratyush, being kidnapped while returning home from school. The accused allegedly lured the minor under the pretext of a medical visit. The main conspirator, Subhrakant Mohapatra (22), alias Basuni, is said to be the cousin of the boy’s tuition teacher and hails from the same village, Panchagaon, under the Airfield police limits in Bhubaneswar.

According to Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh, “Police received information about the abduction around 10:30 a.m. An operation was launched immediately, forming four dedicated teams due to the sensitive nature of the case.” He further confirmed that the motive was ransom.

The minor was rescued unharmed from a rented accommodation in Nirakarpur, where he was held by two of the accused—Somnath Das (21) and Chinmaya Kumar Nayak (22). The others arrested include Sandip Routray (22), Sagar Nayak (21), Sujata Jena (19), and Nibedita Das (20).

Investigations revealed that Subhrakant was aware that the child’s father, Arta Ranjan Kalia, had recently received a large sum from a land sale. Using this knowledge, he masterminded the kidnapping with the aim of extorting ransom. After orchestrating the abduction, Subhrakant handed over the boy to his accomplices and returned to the village to mislead the family, claiming that unknown gunmen had taken the child.

However, the police grew suspicious of Subhrakant and tracked his phone along with those of the co-accused. This led to the prompt rescue of the boy and the arrest of the entire group involved.