A kidnapping incident surfaced on Thursday in Odisha’s capital city, Bhubaneswar, where a young man was allegedly abducted yesterday by a group of miscreants and held captive for ransom. Acting swiftly on a complaint and intelligence inputs, Bharatpur Police rescued the victim and have detained more than five persons in connection with the case.

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According to police sources, the victim, identified as Prince (nickname) from Kalinga Vihar area under Bharatpur police limits, was allegedly kidnapped while he was on his way to a shop. The accused reportedly intercepted him near the SUM Hospital area and forcibly took him away.

The abductors allegedly confined the youth inside a locked room and demanded money from him. Reports further suggest that the victim was physically assaulted during captivity. Family members and locals grew concerned after the youth went missing, following which a complaint was lodged at Bharatpur Police Station.

Based on specific intelligence inputs, the police conducted a raid at the suspected location and successfully rescued the youth from captivity. During the operation, more than five accused persons were detained for questioning.

Police officials are currently investigating the motive behind the kidnapping and examining whether the incident was linked to financial disputes or organised criminal activity.

The rescued youth is said to be safe now, though he reportedly sustained injuries due to the assault. Police are also trying to ascertain if more individuals were involved in the crime. The incident has triggered concern among residents in the capital city, especially over rising cases of abduction and violent crimes.

“I was going to the shop and, in between that, I was kidnapped. The incident occurred near SUM Hospital at around 4.25 PM yesterday. The police squad arrived at the spot where I was captivated, and the police rescued me. I don’t know how the police came to know about the kidnapping. I was kept somewhere in VSS Nagar locality,” the abductee said.

Police authorities have assured strict action against all those involved in the case. Further investigation is underway, and local police are likely to register multiple charges in the case, including kidnapping, wrongful confinement, assault, and extortion.

However, no comments were received from the police in this regard.