Bhubaneswar, July 22: Police rescued a youth, who was kidnapped by a group of goons for ransom on Monday.

The police arrested Duryodhan Nayak alias Tuan, 32, Narayan Mallick, 19, of Old Town and Biswajit Patnaik, 26, of Bhimatangi for kidnapping Somesh Panda, 23, of Balasore.

However, two other accused, Ranjan Kanta Patnaik and Lucky, managed to flee. The police said Tuan had more than a dozen criminal cases lodged against him at various police stations across the state.

The ransom amount of Rs 5 lakh for releasing Panda, a petty businessman, was however demanded from the gang members of Sunil Meher. Meher has been arrested several times in the past for running sex rackets in the city. The police suspect a link between Panda and Meher.

Panda was staying at a hotel in Bapuji Nagar within Capital police limits when he was kidnapped by the five goons on Sunday.

“The five goons armed with sharp weapons barged into his hotel room and attacked him. Later, they kidnapped Panda and fled in a black Maruti Swift car,” said police commissioner R.P. Sharma.