Berhampur: Police have arrested a man in Gajapati district for allegedly kidnapping his three-year-old son from an upper primary school after throwing chilly powder at his wife and mother-in-law on Wednesday.

Krushna Chandra Panda, 27, fled with the boy, Rishi, in a car from Christapur UP School in Chelagada panchayat within R. Udayagiri police limits. On Thursday, the police spotted the accused and the unharmed kid at an abandoned rest shed at Mangarajpur village in Ramgiri police limits. Panda and Sujanti Veera had a child, when they were living in. But later, Panda's family did not agree to their marriage proposal.

Two years ago, some local public representatives in the presence of police had asked Panda to pay Rs 2.25 lakh to Sujanti as compensation and severe all relations with her and the child.

But, Panda has since paid only Rs 1 lakh. Sujanti's family members have been repeatedly asking for the remaining amount, the police said. Later on, when Sujanti mentioned Panda as Rishi's father at a rubella vaccination camp, he opposed it. However, Sujanti said: "As I am yet to receive the remaining Rs 1.25 lakh, I will continue to use his name as the father of my child."

Consequently, Panda kidnapped Rishi and tension erupted at Christapur village.

"One platoon of police was deployed at the village to maintain law and order," said Rudayagiri police station inspector-in-charge Prabhakar Panda. Three police squads had also been formed to trace Rishi and Panda. The cops have registered a case against Panda under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

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