M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Jan 31: The kidnapping case of the government lady doctor Neelima Kumari posted in the community health centre at Chandwa in Latehar district has been solved.
The police have arrested the lone abductor and sent him to judicial remand in Latehar jail.
Bhagirathi Sethi alias Smith Sethi (45) originally from Baripada police station in Bhadrak district in Orissa.
State DGP Neeraj Sinha along with Chandwa police were on the live wire to crack the case which was finally done in little over two weeks.
According to police, the abductor behaved like famous con men Charles Shobhraj and Natwar Lal as he when caught by police, he tried to terrify them that he would be taking his raw treatment and rough and tough dealing with him by the police to the National Human Rights Commission.
“He is a habitual offender and first class shameless liar who can make out any story in his defense. He is said to have criminal cases against him in Orissa,” said police officials.
Inspector of police cum officer in-charge of the Chandwa police station Ashutosh Kumar said: “Sethi did try to overawe us by referring to the National Human Rights Commission but it had no effect on us as we were dealing with the con within the ambit of law.”
The lady doctor Neelima Kumari was kidnapped on January 12 as this con man found her a soft target.
Sethi had spent considerable time in Chandwa meeting village quacks and medicine shop keepers taking notes of the doctors about their lifestyle, earnings by private practice etc.
He used to bring in certificates for Chandsi Dawa Khana type treatment shops from Kolkata and for its renewal used to extract money from such operators of the treatment shops here in Chandwa.
He learnt about Dr Neelima as she gave out more information about herself and so he made her his victim of abduction. He delved deep into her personal life, spinned an imaginary story and tried to prove he and the lady doctor were no stranger to each other.
Police officer said he frightened the lady doctor for her private practice and that unnerved her.
He tried to conjure up this story of familiarity, but it fell flat on Sethi’s face as the special investigation team put up by SP Latehar Anjani Anjan cracked the case.
The Chandwa police sensed the game of the con and intelligently outwitted Sethi in his dubious design by which he was trying to malign the character and honour of a lady doctor.
The lady doctor rubbished the theory of acquaintance as floated by the Sethi and police believed her and that helped them to nab him.
Police said that Sethi kidnapped this lady doctor to give her a big economic push as he walked down with her Rs. 2.5 lakh cash which he used to retain his credit card, travelling expenses that he had for Kolkata, footing bills of hotels, buying fuel for his car and other purposes.
Earlier, the conman Sethi, who claims to be an MBA degree holder besides B.Tech, has impersonated as a WHO doctor and also as Anti Corruption Bureau officer without giving any iota of doubt to his victims who used to believe him for what he presented about himself.
Police have seized his fake identity card of the ACB officer, a car, Aadhar card, cell phone used in crime, driving license and cash worth Rs. 15,100.
