Kendrapara, Jan. 10: A driver from Punjab, who had come to the district with his paddy-harvesting machine, was allegedly kidnapped for ransom from a village within the limits of Nikirai police station yesterday night.

The police have arrested two persons and rescued the victim by tracking the mobile phones of the accused persons.

Rajwinder Singh, 25, the driver of a paddy-harvesting machine, was waylaid from a crop field in Nalapari village. Five persons allegedly kidnapped Singh at gunpoint and fled from the spot on a car.

Nikirai police station inspector in-charge Kiran Hembrum said: “All the accused persons have past history of crimes. After kidnapping, they tried to extort the driver. As the driver was short of cash, they later made calls for ransom to the owner of the harvesting unit based in Bhatinda in Punjab.”

Singh was held captive in two locations.

He was rescued from a deserted house near Patharakhai on the Cuttack-Chandballi state highway.

The arrested youths — Kanhu Charan Ojha and Debendra Swain — have been booked under sections 364 (A) and 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code.

Three of their accomplices have evaded arrest. A manhunt is on to arrest them shortly, said Hembrum.