Balasore: Jewellery shop owner Prahallad Behera of Atapur area under Soro block in Balasore district has been missing since Thursday afternoon. He left his house and since then is yet to return. His family members alleged that he has been kidnapped and they are expecting a ransom call soon. They said the miscreants had called him on the pretext of buying gold ornaments.
Sources said, Behera has a jewellery shop at Belda square on Soro-Kupari road in Balasore district. He had received a phone call Thursday morning from one Sumanta Mallick of Dandaharipur. The caller had asked Behera to bring some ornaments he wanted to buy.
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Later in the day, Behera left for Dandaharipur on his bike with around 50gm of gold ornaments. The family waited for him for a lengthy period, but he did not return till late Thursday night. The worried family members tried to contact Behera but could not as his phone was switched off. They searched for him everywhere.
After they failed to trace him out, the family members lodged an FIR at Soro police station late Thursday night. Police are now trying to locate Behera’s number. Family members have also failed to provide the number from which Behera received the call. So it has made the job of the police doubly difficult.
PNN