Police crack woman kidnapping case, arrest extortionists including victim

Bhubaneswar, June 21:Chandaka Police rescued Smrutirekha Pani on Friday, following her alleged abduction from Bhubaneswar on June 19. Smrutirekha, residing with her parents at Trident Galaxy in Chandaka after separating from her husband, left for Satsang Vihar near Vani Vihar on Wednesday noon. Concerned when she did not return, her family reported her missing to Chandaka Police, suspecting kidnapping after receiving a ransom demand of Rs 1 crore.

However, investigation by a team led by Commissioner of Police Sanjeeb Panda and DCP Prateek Singh revealed a different truth. It was uncovered that Smrutirekha had staged her own abduction with her lover's assistance due to familial disapproval of their relationship. The police tracked them down to Nayagarh using mobile phone signals, leading to the arrest of Smrutirekha and her boyfriend, Devi Lala Ola, and Pradeep Kumar Ola, both residents of Rajasthan.

Sources revealed Smrutirekha had married a software engineer in 2015 but returned to Bhubaneswar two and a half years ago. She developed a relationship with a person reportedly from outside Odisha. During interrogation, the accused admitted Smrutirekha planned the fake kidnapping to extort money from her online trader brother and intended to marry Pradeep.