Botched extortion plot: Seven held for businessman, maid murders

ROURKELA: Police on Thursday arrested seven persons including a woman for the murders of Rourkela-based businessman Binod Daruka (64) and his female office help P Deepa (34), which were committed over a botched extortion plot.

Deepa’s younger sister Radha Swain (30) masterminded the kidnap for ransom plan. She and her accomplices, Manoj Das (20), Yuvraj Paswan (21), Sheikh Asif (22), Suraj Singh (22), Bhabesh Raj Choudhury (20) and Sambhu Mahato (42), had to commit the twin murders after their plan went awry, said police.

Briefing the media, DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Rai flanked by Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani and his Sundargarh counterpart Pratyush Diwakar said Deepa’s half-burnt body with her throat slit was recovered from near Dhantawary overbridge along NH-143 within Chandiposh police limits on February 12.

Similarly on February 15 morning, Daruka’s body was recovered from along Tunmura village road within Kutra police limits. On February 16, police identified both the bodies and launched a joint investigation to establish link in the two murders, he said.

Deepa was working for Daruka for the last seven years and both were reportedly having an affair. Aware of their relationship, Radha was hatching a conspiracy for the last eight months to kidnap Daruka and extort money from him. She also owed around `10 lakh to Daruka and was even using the businessman’s multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) Innova.

Rai said as Deepa was proving to be an obstacle in her plan, Radha and her accomplices kidnapped her on February 11 after giving her some sedative in the MPV. However, their plan went awry when Deepa resisted. In a sudden change of plan, Deepa’s throat was slit inside the vehicle on Radha’s instruction and her body dumped in a hurry.

Daruka inquired about the whereabouts of Deepa with her sister and mother but got no specific information. The DIG said Radha lied to Daruka that Deepa had gone to the nearby Kuanrmunda block and offered to search for her together. Both of them reached Kuanrmunda in Daruka’s SUV where Daruka was kidnapped at gunpoint by Radha’s aides.

The accused asked Daruka to immediately arrange a hefty ransom. When it appeared that the ransom money could not be arranged in such short notice, they panicked and Daruka was shot in the head. The businessman’s body was carried in his SUV and dumped near Tunmura village of Kutra. The vehicle was abandoned at a nearby place, Rai said.

Wadhwani and Diwakar said a sharp weapon and a knife, mobile phones of the two deceased and Radha, besides the mastermind’s multiple SIM cards were recovered from Brahmani river and DAV pond. Two separate cases have been registered in this connection and the accused were produced in court.