Bhubaneswar, February 22: In a major breakthrough, Keonjhar police have successfully solved the kidnapping case of Nimananda Pradhan, Vice-President of Grewal Mineral and Metals, Barbil.
Seven individuals have been arrested in connection with the case. The accused have been identified as Md. Firoz from Keonjhar, Sarfraj Ansari from Ranchi, Bhudhendranath Singha from Kolkata, Rajendra Paswan from Bihar, Jamil Aktar from Ranchi, Farha Parbin from Ranchi, and Sadab Naubahar from Chakradharpur in Jharkhand.
According to police reports, Pradhan was abducted on February 12, and his family was forced to pay a ransom of ₹60 lakh for his release. Investigations revealed that Md. Firoz, the assistant driver of Pradhan’s vehicle, was a key conspirator. He had collaborated with a known criminal from Jharkhand, Md. Sahdab alias Babu, to execute the abduction for ransom.
Following the incident, the police launched a large-scale operation, deploying 12 teams across Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal. After an intense eight-day search, authorities apprehended the seven suspects, including Firoz and Sahdab.
During the operation, police recovered ₹50.9 lakh of the ransom money, along with a toy pistol, a motorcycle, and several mobile phones. The investigation was spearheaded by Additional SP of Keonjhar, Manoj Kumar Rout, and Barbil IIC, Ashok Nayak.
