Berhampur, Ap 23: A land dealer from Gopalpur in Odisha’s Ganjam district, who had been abducted and held for ransom, was found murdered on Wednesday.
The deceased, Sudhir Patra, a resident of Satyanarayanpur village under Gopalpur police limits, was kidnapped on April 15 while traveling on the road. Shortly after the abduction, the kidnappers contacted Patra’s wife via a WhatsApp call, demanding ₹2 crore for his release. They also sent a video showing Patra being assaulted, with a gun pointed at his head and several youths kicking him.
Patra’s wife immediately lodged a complaint with the police, prompting the formation of nine police teams. The teams conducted searches both within and outside the district, detaining multiple suspects for questioning. Despite a week-long operation, authorities were unable to locate him.
On Wednesday morning, a local resident discovered a decomposed body under a bridge near Rasipankal. Police arrived at the scene and suspected it to be Patra’s. Family members later identified the body based on his T-shirt. Preliminary investigations indicate that the body had been there for around seven days, suggesting that Patra may have been killed either on the night of his abduction or the following day.
Police believe that a land dispute could have been the motive behind the crime. Currently, eight individuals have been detained and are being interrogated in connection with the alleged murder.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the kidnapping and killing.
