Bhubaneswar, March 18: Additional district and sessions judge Ananda Chandra Behera today sentenced five persons to life imprisonment after they were found guilty of kidnapping a senior officer of KIIT University in January 2011.

The court today convicted Pahali Behera, Dilip Swain, Dilip Pradhan, Suresh Nayak and Manoj Nayak for kidnapping the university's estate and establishment officer Pramod Kumar Sahoo, 45, from an isolated place near the varsity campus on January 28, 2011. He was on his way to his farmhouse near Infocity when the incident happened.

'The judge held them guilty of abduction for ransom and threatening to kill the hostage. Their accomplice K. Rama Rao, who drove the vehicle used in the kidnapping, is still at large. Rao has been untraceable since he was granted bail in this case. His trial is on,' said associate public prosecutor Pradipta Kumar Mishra.

Besides life imprisonment, the court has ordered the five to deposit a penalty of Rs 6,000 each. If they fail to deposit it, then the accused will have to serve additional six months in jail. Police had registered two different cases at Infocity and Jatni police stations earlier and had filed charge sheet accusing six persons for the crime.

On the fateful day, the kidnappers had gagged Sahoo and forcibly took him to a forest in Nayagarh district. They had also demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore for his release.

However, a few villagers spotted the kidnappers and the hostage while collecting firewood in the forest the next day and informed the police.