Bhubaneswar, Jan. 9: Three persons, including a businessman from Berhampur, were arrested today for allegedly kidnapping another businessman on gunpoint on November 29.

The accused had held the Bhubaneswar-based trader in his own vehicle, took away 15 ATM cards and stole his car. The accused also forcefully got the complainant to sign on forms to change the vehicle ownership.

The accused have been identified as E. Koteswar Patra, 45, Tutu Das, 38, and Dipak Moharana, 50, all residents of Berhampur.

Police have seized the car and gold ornaments bought by the accused using the ATM cards of the 32-year-old Dandapani Patra, the Bhuba-neswar trader.

The cops said Koteswar, who was earlier involved in business with Dandapani, was the mastermind of the crime. "Koteswar called Dandapani over the cell phone asking him to come to Megheswar Colony near Tankapani Road for work. Four others reached the spot, held the victim at gunpoint and told him to sit in the back seat. They then took away Patra's three mobile phones, blindfolded him and took him to the city outskirts," said deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi.

The accused assaulted Dandapani and took away 15 ATM cards, the password and bought gold ornaments worth Rs 2.2 lakh from a jewellery shop at Saheed Nagar. "The accused only managed to withdraw Rs 5,000 from ATM counters due to the restriction on dispense of cash as a result of demonetisation," said the police official.

The accused also left the vehicle at a cashew factory in Berhampur and were trying to transfer the vehicle ownership.

"The accused claimed that the victim was supposed to pay him Rs 15 lakh. But the victim denies this," said the police official adding that they were trying to nab two others accused in the case.