Bhubaneswar, Dec 20 (IANS): The Commissionerate Police have arrested a man for hatching a kidnapping plot of his 11-month-old son to get rid of his wife in Bhubaneswar, said DCP Prateek Singh here on Wednesday.
The police have also apprehended three others including the first husband of the victim's mother for involvement in the crime.
The accused was identified as Subrat Sethi of Marthapur, Bishnu Prusty of Bhuban area in Dhenkanal district, Braja Kishore Nath and Sarat Mohanty of Madhupatna area in Cuttack.
Police received a complaint from the child’s father Subrat that some miscreants had snatched away his child near Patia Railway crossing Tuesday. The city police soon swung into action and started searching for the baby by registering a case on the basis of the complaint lodged by Subrat.
Meanwhile, police started suspecting Subrat when they found inconsistencies in his statements regarding the incident. Subrat later revealed the kidnapping plot during further interrogation by police.
“The victim’s mother, Shantilata Maharana had married Bishnu around 10 years back. Following some dispute between the couple, she eloped with the victim’s father and accused Subrat around two years back. Later, the victim child was born out of the relationship of Subrat and Shantilata,” stated DCP Singh.
Singh further said that the relationship between Subrat and Shantilata has been going through rough patches over some issues since the last two months. Subrat was trying to part ways with Shantilata while her first husband Bishnu was planning to get her back.
So the duo hatched a plan over the phone around 15 days back to get rid of the child. As per the plan, Subrat would hand over the kidnapped child to Bishnu who would later give the 11-month-old baby to his friend Sarat who has no children. Later, Subrat would put pressure on Shantilata to return to Bishnu according to the plan.
Singh said after the accused confessed to the crime a team of Mancheswar police rescued the child from Sarat’s residence at Madhupatna in Cuttack. Police also arrested another friend of Bishnu, Brajakishore for his complicity in the crime. He had arranged a vehicle that was used in the kidnapping of the child.
Brajakishore and Sarat along with Bishnu work at the Forest Department saw mill in Khapuria area of Cuttack while Subrat is a house painter.