Odisha Police Solve Kidnapping Case of Grewal Minerals and Metals VP Nimanand Pradhan, 7Arrested
Bhubaneswar(Orissa Today) Feb 23 : The Odisha Police have successfully resolved the high-profile kidnapping case of Nimanand Pradhan, Vice President of Grewal Minerals and Metals. Seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the case, and ₹50.9 lakh of the ₹60 lakh ransom has been recovered. Odisha Police DIG (West) Birjash Kumar Roy announced the breakthrough at a press conference held at the Kendujhar SP office.
On the evening of February 12, Nimanand Pradhan was abducted. His wife, Sujata Pradhan, filed a complaint at the Barbil police station the next day. Under the direction of Kendujhar SP Kushalkar Nitin Dagdu, 12 police teams were formed and led by Additional SP Manoj Kumar Raut. These teams were dispatched to neighboring states, collaborating with various agencies including the FIU, Odisha Crime Branch, Jharkhand ATS, Bihar STF, Bihar and Jharkhand Jail IGs, and the West Bengal Police. Police teams were sent to Patna, Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Kolkata, Purulia, Chaibasa, and Bidhannagar. The investigation revealed that the crime occurred near Ranchi, and the victim’s family paid a ₹60 lakh ransom. Subsequently, the police launched a rescue operation, bringing the victim safely to Barbil police station on February 19. The investigation identified the main suspect as Babu, aka Mohammad Sadab, and efforts to locate him commenced.
The investigation revealed that Pradhan’s regular driver, Akash, was ill, and Mohammad Firoz was driving the car instead. On February 7, Firoz purchased a new car and distributed sweets to company employees. Initially, Firoz claimed that four criminals had abducted him and the victim and that they were drugged. However, witness statements contradicted his account, and Firoz eventually confessed to the crime under rigorous questioning. He revealed that he had distributed drug-laced sweets to Akash and another employee, Indra, on the day of the incident. Mastermind Sadab Khan provided the sedatives on February 11. Firoz and Sadab Khan conspired to kidnap Pradhan, with Khan gathering information about the victim’s family and financial status from Firoz. On February 12, at 7:15 PM, Firoz took the victim out of the office under the pretense of dropping him home. En route, Khan and three accomplices awaited and abducted the victim at gunpoint. Firoz was also beaten to avoid suspicion. The victim was drugged and taken to Ranchi, where he was held hostage. The kidnappers demanded a ₹2 crore ransom via internet calls and threatened to kill the victim if the ransom was not paid. Fearing Khan’s notorious methods, the family paid ₹60 lakh.
The police deployed 12 teams to Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal for eight days, conducting multiple raids to apprehend the suspects. The operation was led by Kendujhar Additional SP Manoj Kumar Raut and Barbil IIC Ashok Nayak.
The police conducted raids in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Patna, Purulia, and Chaibasa, resulting in the arrest of the seven suspects and the recovery of ₹50.9 lakh of the ransom money. The successful operation highlights the dedication and coordination of multiple police agencies and units.
