Paradip, March 10: Police have rescued a kidnapped engineer from his captors and arrested 18 anti-socials from near Paradip port town in connection with the abduction-for-ransom episode.

The rescued engineer, Mrunal Chakrovarthy (28), was engaged in the construction works of Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s oil refinery project near Paradip when the the goons accosted him.

The kidnapped engineer was being kept at Bagadia village near the Oil Corporation Limited project when police, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the kidnappers and rescued Chakrovarthy from their custody, said Anil Mishra, inspector of Paradip police station.

The abductors had demanded Rs 5 lakh as ransom from the victim’s employers.

Interestingly, many of those arrested today posed as trade union activists by floating a labour welfare trade union.

Under the grab of trade unionism, the accused were running a well-knit extortion racket, police said.

Those arrested and later sent to jail custody were Anjan Behera, Pabitra Tarai, Ullash Tarai, Amulya Behera, Pratap Tarei, Biplav Samal, Pravat Sahu, Alok Tarai, Amarendra Mahapatra, Sarbeswar Samal, Gagan Behera, Mihir Tarae, Sangram Rout, Mithun Tarai, Prasanna Tarai, Basanta Parida, Alok Rout and Bhanja Kishore Tarai, police said.

Of late, lawlessness has become more pronounced in and around the Indian Oil Corporation Limited complex. Sustained clashes and violence among rival trade unions have been taking place in the region.

“As a lot of money is being pumped into the project, law-breakers have cast their attention on construction sites,” said Shantanu Kumar Das, the sub-divisional police officer of Paradip.

Patrolling has been beefed up in and around the Indian Oil Corporation Limited project and the police hopes to nab others involved in the extortion racket, he added.