Scared But Didn’t Lose Hope; Kidnappers Used My Phone To Communicate, Says Rescued Bhubaneswar Youth

After spending almost two nights in captivity, Ishan Agarwal, a youth from Bhubaneswar was successfully rescued from the clutches of his kidnappers due to swift action by the Commissionerate Police. Ishan, the son of a city-based businessman, was abducted by unidentified miscreants when he stepped out of his house at Laxmisagar area to have a cup of tea outside on January 31 evening.

Narrating the ordeal, Ishan said that the miscreants tied up his hands after pushing him into a four-wheeler following the kidnap.

“Two men initially called out me name. As they were wearing masks and hoodies, I could not recognise them. When I went near the vehicle, they grabbed me and pushed me into the vehicle. They then tied up my hands and blindfolded me,” said Ishan, hours after he was rescued.

According to Ishan, the kidnappers took him to as many as 3- 4 districts including Khordha and Nayagarh in the vehicle. The miscreants covered almost 800 kilometres, moving from one place to the other in a bid to escape the police dragnet and collect the demanded ransom of Rs 30 lakh from Ishan’s father.

“They were three of them in the car. Initially, they put a knife on my throat and clicked a picture which they sent to my family. The kidnappers were communicating with my family using my mobile phone which with another person in a separate vehicle trailing mine. They made me to speak to my family through conference call,” said Ishan adding that the miscreants had made around 50 calls to his family over the ransom.

Elaborating on what crossed his mind in the deadly situation, Ishan said, “I got scared after I was taken as hostage. But I was hopeful that my family and police would save me. I thank them for rescuing me. They kidnappers gave me rice to eat only once during the entire captivity.”

Ishan’s father Ram Agarwal said, “I received the first call at around 6.15 pm on January 31. The callers demanded Rs 30 lakh for the release of my son. They also made me to travel to different places in Bhubaneswar and Khordha.”

Ram further said that the caller/s used my son’s number to communicate with him.

Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, Twin City Police Commissioner Saumendra Priyadarshi said, “All the four persons involved in the kidnapping of the Bhubaneswar youth were arrested in a 36 hour-long precision guided operation which was closely monitored by the top brass to rule out any slip up. It was success at last and the boy is back safe and sound. All the accused are professional kidnappers and were involved in a similar crime in Berhampur earlier last month.”

Priyadarshi had stated that the kidnappers traversed around districts covering nearly 800 kms and were constantly changing location to dodge surveillance. However, the police, aided by technology, got the better of them before finally they busted the hideout.