4 youths held in city for kidnapping male nursing student

Bhubaneswar: Four youths, two of them students of a private educational institution in the city, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly kidnapping a male nursing student of the same college for ransom.

“The motive behind the crime was a financial dispute between the victim Biswajit Pradhan (22), a fourth year BSc nursing student of SOA University, and the accused — Sandeep Kumar Rout (21), Ritik Muduli (22), Subham Pradhan (20) and Biswas Nayak (24). Accused Sandeep and Ritik study in the same institution,” ACP (Zone-III) Prashant Kumar Sahoo told the media.

While the police, in their written statement, did not disclose the details of the other two accused, authorities said the duo’s backgrounds are being verified.

The incident comes just days after six college students were arrested in Bharatpur area on May 21 for allegedly kidnapping a Plus II student to settle a financial dispute.

According to the ACP, the accused kidnapped Biswajit from the college campus on Tuesday afternoon in a vehicle. The sudden disappearance triggered panic among fellow students and faculty members, who immediately alerted the police.

The victim’s father received a ransom call demanding Rs 50,000. “We acted swiftly. Special teams from Bharatpur police station, along with members of the special squad and technical staff, were deployed to track the suspects,” ACP Sahoo said.

Police relied on advanced technical support, including call detail records and CCTV footage from the college campus and surrounding areas, to track the kidnappers’ movement.

In a carefully planned operation, two police officers posing as family members and carrying the ransom money, approached the hideout in Bharatpur where the victim was being held. Simultaneously, another team raided the premises, rescuing the student unharmed. “All four accused were taken into custody on the spot,” the ACP said.

During interrogation, police found that the victim and accused were involved in getting commissions by helping students clear online admission tests in various colleges. However, tension escalated when the victim began running a parallel operation, distancing himself from the group, police sources said. This alleged betrayal reportedly fuelled resentment, and the accused plotted the kidnapping to extort money.