Missing Cuttack businessman traced from Amritsar

Surjit Kumar dhal,Cuttack, April 3: A Cuttack businessman, Vishal Kumar Sundarka, who was reported missing under mysterious circumstances, was finally traced from Amritsar in Punjab in safe condition by the Crime Branch police.

Vishal was reunited with his family immediately after the CB team returned from Amritsar.

On the written complaint of Santosh Sundarka of CDA, Cuttack at the Markatnagar Police Station relating to the missing of his younger brother and businessman Vishal Kumar Sundarka on March 6, police had swung into prompt action and discovered his car in Puri.

According to a CID-CB release, there were media reports about possible abduction of Vishal for ransom as the family of the victim received some voice calls for ransom from foreign mobile numbers.

The alleged abductors, the release said, demanded huge sums of money from Vishal’s family for his safe exchange.

On inquiry by the Markatnagar police, the car of the missing businessman was found in Puri. He had not even taken his mobile phones with him which made it difficult for the police to proceed further.

Due to the gravity of the situation, the matter was referred to CID-Crime Branch last week.

A team was formed to trace Vishal and after going through the available inputs, video footage and technical evidence, the Crime Branch team worked out some important clues, the release said.

Later, a three-member team led by Inspector Akshay Nayak proceeded to Punjab based on these clues. The missing businessman, Vishal Kumar Sundarka was finally traced at Amritsar in Punjab.

He has been brought back to Cuttack safely and immediately reunited with his family.

It is ascertained, the released claimed, that the businessman had left his house on his own.

“It was neither a case of abduction nor a case of business rivalry. It appears that some mischievous and criminal elements attempted to take unlawful and illegal advantage of the situation and demanded ransom of very high amount in exchange for the businessman from the family of missing person,” a senior officer of the CID-CB said, adding that this part of demand for ransom was now under enquiry.