Berhampur, April 27: Goons have kidnapped a 20-year-old boy and demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh from his builder father. They threatened to chop off the boy’s hands if half the ransom sum was not paid by this evening.

The 20-year-old youth, K. Ganesh Rao, was untraceable even after six special police teams were constituted with police personnel from Khurda, Ganjam and Berhampur police districts to find the victim.

“The kidnappers are demanding Rs 20 lakh to release Ganesh. They wanted Rs 10 lakh by Friday evening and threatened to chop his hands off if his father failed to pay the ransom by the deadline,” said Balugaon sub-divisional police officer P.K. Routray.

“The kidnappers have called K. Mohan Rao, the kidnapped youth’s father, thrice since morning using his son’s mobile phone,” said the police officer.

The senior Rao, owner of the KMR Constructions Company, expressed his inability to pay such a huge ransom.

“I won’t be able to pay such a huge amount for my son’s release,” said the builder.

Rao said some persons had detained Ganesh near Ramlingam Tank area in the city and demanded Rs 2 lakh from him on April 2 last year.

“After I informed the police, they arrested Jitu Panda of Kampa Sahi and T. Ramesh of Gopalburuda Sahi and rescued Ganesh. Since then, we had also cautioned Ganesh not to venture outside,” said Rao.

Police said Ganesh, who is a student of bachelor in business administration at Khallikote Autonomous College, was kidnapped at gunpoint when he along with his three friends were on their way to Salia Dam on the border of Ganjam and Khurda district for a picnic on Thursday.

T. Ayappa Suman, who was part of the group of boys going to the picnic, said:

“We were about two kilometres from Salia Dam when two bikes suddenly intercepted us at gunpoint. They snatched our mobile phones and took away Ganesh,” he said.