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Businessman’s kidnap case takes a dramatic turn

BHUBANESWAR: Seven months after Bhubaneswar police left the investigation into the kidnapping of Keonjhar-based businessman Rasmi Ranjan Mohapatra “inconclusive”, arrest of two aides of dreaded gangster Seikh Haider in Bolangir seems to have made them active again.

A team of Bhubaneswar police was sent to western Orissa town of Bolangir on Monday to interrogate, Ganapati Ray, lawyer of Haider and Babloo Khan, a henchman of the gangster, in connection with the kidnapping of Mohapatra.

Both Ray and Khan were nabbed red-handed in a hotel in Bolangir while they were collecting extortion money from victim’s family members.

Further interrogation by Bolangir police reportedly gave rise to a belief that Mohapatra was alive.

Victim’s brother-in-law Dillip Behera also confirmed that he talked to Mohapatra around three months ago. The victim had then pleaded to ensure his release, Mr. Behera said.

Mohapatra’s wife too has confirmed that her husband was alive.

Bhubaneswar police, who were not sure whether Mohapatra was alive or dead till the arrest of five persons belonging to Haider’s gang, claimed that they knew the gangster was involved in the kidnap case.

“No new development has taken place in the case.

Last year, we had also got clues about involvement of Haider in the kidnapping,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Amitab Thakur, who was then Superintendent of Police of Khurda, said on Monday.

Mohapatra’s abduction had taken dramatic turn in June last when body of his driver was found near Ranchi.

Bhubaneswar police also insisted that family members of Mohapatra should go there to identify another mutilated body, which they suspected to be of the victim’s.

However, family members had not visited the place.

Though police arrested one man in connection with kidnap last year, the investigation came to a halt with the city police deciding to conduct DNA test of the mutilated body.

As little progress was made in the case by the Bhubaneswar police, family members of the victim went on to locate Mohapatra on their own.

Taking advantage of the “laxity” in investigation, Haider as claimed by Bolangir police, had already taken Rs. 1 crore of extortion money from Mohapatra’s family and was in the process of taking more money.

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