Bhubaneswar: Police took Rashmita Swain, the alleged girlfriend of businessman Balram Sahni, on two-day remand on Sunday for her alleged involvement in his kidnapping in 2019.
According to sources, Swain was arrested by Chandaka Police about 15 days ago in the yet unsolved 2019 Balangir kidnapping case. She is accused of having played a key role in Sahni’s abduction with evidence linking her directly to the kidnapping plot.
Police stated that her arrest followed days of interrogation and surveillance, which revealed her active participation in the crime. “We have taken Rashmita Swain into custody in connection with the kidnapping case. Our investigation has established her involvement in the conspiracy and further interrogation i
s underway to identify other accomplices,” Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena told a presser.
He added that the case is being treated with utmost seriousness given the high-profile nature of the victim and the organized manner in which the crime was executed.
The kidnapping of entrepreneur Sahni 7 years ago shocked Balangir and surrounding areas, which stunned the local business community and raised alarms about targeted crimes against entrepreneurs in the region. Sahni and Swain were reportedly in a relationship when they went missing in 2019. Though Swain returned to her house later, Sahni remained untraceable, prompting a formal missing person report that evolved into a full kidnapping investigation.
Initial suspicions pointed to financial disputes or rivalries, but the arrest of Sahni’s girlfriend 2 weeks ago has shifted the narrative, suggesting betrayal from within his close circle. Police are now probing whether the crime was motivated by personal grievances or linked to larger criminal networks.
Family members from both sides were present at the police station during proceedings but declined to offer comments.