Odisha court sentences five to life term for kidnapping

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Mar 18, 2015 at 10:51 PM Updated On : Mar 18, 2015 at 10:52 PM

Reported by Santosh Jagdev

Bhubaneswar, Mar 18:

Woman gets 10 years in jail for killing lover in Odisha’s Sundargarh

Odisha woman ‘kills’ minor son for stealing money; held

Additional Session Judge Court here today sentenced five persons to life imprisonment in a case of kidnapping that took place on January 28, 2011.

Judge Ananda Chandra Behera also ordered the five accused to deposit a penalty of Rs 6000 each and serve a further jail term of six months of they fail to pay the fine.

The convicts were identified as Pahali Behera of Daspalla in Nayagarh district, who was the mastermind in the case, Dillip Swain alias Rocky of Ganjam, Mantu alias Dilip Pradhan of Puri, Suresh Nayak alias Kalia and Manoj Nayak alias Bapi, both of Saranakula in Nayagarh district. Another associate, a driver by profession, involved in the case is still absconding.

Government public prosecutor PK Mishra said two cases had been registered at Infocity and Jatni police stations earlier. Police had slapped charges under sections 364/A, 34 of IPC and 25, 27 Arms Act and 307, 25,27 Arms Act in the two cases.

“Commissionerate police had filedd a charge sheet against the five accusing them of abducting KIIT university establishment officer, Pramod Kumar Sahoo on January 28, 2011. The charge sheet also contained 27 witnesses and 31 documents seized,” Mishra added.

Sahoo was kidnapped by the accused while he was on a morning walk in a desolate patch near Sikharchandi in the city and located very close to the university. He was whisked away in a car to Jhuntamara village in Nayagarh district where he was held hostage while the kidnappers contacted some KITT staff over phone and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore to release Pramod.

Some villagers spotted Sahoo in a jungle near Jhuntamara village where he was being held hostage. The villagers beat up the kidnappers and rescued Sahoo and later handed Pramod over to the police.

The villagers could catch three of the kidnappers, while other gang members managed to flee. Some firearms and sharp-edged weapons were seized from them.

Later police nabbed the other two accused from the city.