Bhubaneswar: In a dramatic turn of events, the alleged lover of a newlywed bride was arrested, and the bride rescued by the Subarnapur police, officials said on Tuesday.
The prime accused has been identified as Sanjeeb Sahoo (36), a married man with a son, who reportedly has a history of criminal activity.
According to Subarnapur SP Narayan Nayak, the groom, Rinku Putel, a resident of Balangir district, lodged a complaint at Tarbha Police Station on 22 February 2026. He alleged that while returning with his newly married wife near Nuabandh under the Tarbha police jurisdiction in Subarnapur district, three men in a car overtook their vehicle, stopped it, dragged him out, and abducted the bride.
“When the groom tried to resist, one of the miscreants, identified as the bride’s alleged lover, brandished a pistol to threaten him,” SP Nayak said. “Following the complaint, a case was registered, and after a detailed investigation, the prime accused was arrested today. The bride has been rescued, and her ornaments were recovered from a rented house in Professor Colony, Sambalpur.”
The SP added that Sahoo had been involved in three prior criminal cases. He had secured bail in two of them and was wanted in a recent NDPS case. “Investigations are ongoing, and the remaining suspects are expected to be arrested soon,” he said.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the bride reportedly knew the accused prior to the incident, suggesting a possible conspiracy. However, the SP emphasised that the bride is the victim in the case. “Sahoo, being a habitual offender, may have orchestrated the kidnapping,” SP Nayak said.
