Bhubaneswar: Police have detained four individuals for their alleged roles in the abduction and subsequent suicide of a taxi driver whose body was discovered on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar last week. The victim, identified as 35-year-old Bidyadhar Sahoo from Aranga village in Khurda district, was found near Jujhagada village along the Pitapalli-Baranga road under the jurisdiction of the Chandaka police station on Saturday. Those arrested include N Dilip Kumar (37), Ramesh Chandra Behera (56), Deepak Kumar Sahukar (30), and Rabindra Behera (50), all from Gajapati district. According to police reports, the suspects, along with others, kidnapped Sahoo after he allegedly defrauded them of a substantial amount of money under the pretense of providing job opportunities.
They reportedly demanded a ransom of Rs 1.5 crore from Sahoo’s wife. Additionally, police indicated that others, including a woman implicated in the job scam, are also involved in the case, and efforts are underway to locate her, as she has been evading capture since Sahoo’s abduction on September 15. Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh stated that Sahoo had allegedly taken educational certificates and money from the suspects with a promise of employment. On September 15, he was forcibly taken to Jajpur, where the abductors demanded the return of their money and documents. Sahoo faced torture from his captors, who pressured him for repayment.
Reports suggest he died by suicide in a house in Jajpur on September 19, where he was held captive. In a panic, the suspects later disposed of his body and abandoned his taxi near Chandaka. Sahoo’s wife filed a missing person report at the Badagada police station on September 19.