Bhubaneswar:  The abduction and killing of Nikhil Hadipa in Odisha’s Rayagada have kept the district in boil. Months ago, a businessman Sudhir Patra was kidnapped and later killed in Berhampur.

Even as Odisha has a very low count of cases of kidnapping for ransom, NCRB data from 2016 – 2024 shows cases under IPC section 364 (A ) numbered at around 2-3 per year.

The year 2026 saw a total of 1 case till date. Months ago, a kidnapping case has come from the district of Koraput, where an elderly man – a money lender in profession - was kidnapped, where he was rescued successfully and accused were arrested.

Why Berhampur, Rayagada Not Kidnapping for Gain Case

In the case of Rayagada, according to the police accounts, Hadipa had an altercation with a group of youths. As tensions escalated, he fled the spot, only to be chased down by his rivals in the Indira Nagar area. Shots were fired before he was forcibly taken away. His body was recovered the next morning near a river.

Investigators suspect the crime was rooted in personal vendetta, not ransom or organised abduction.

Similarly, the abduction and killing of a businessman in Berhampur, police investigations revealed, had been due to personal enmity/revenge killing over alleged family dispute.

A Larger Pattern in Odisha

Recent crime data reinforces this trend. As per NCRB 2024 figures:

Murders due to personal enmity in Odisha:

·        2024: 133 cases

·        2023: 111 cases

This makes personal enmity the third leading motive for murder in the state, underscoring how interpersonal conflicts continue to turn deadly.

Murders for gain in Odisha:

While such cases often attract wider attention due to their organised nature, they remain far fewer than killings driven by personal grudges.

·        2024: 33 cases

·        2023: 21 cases

District Map

A glance at Police records has identified the following hotspots of kidnapping for ransom cases in the State.

·        Bhubaneswar, Cuttack: occasional cases reported, but the risk factor has been urban wealth concentration.

·        Ganjam: cases burden not high. But reported in some years. The reasons for inclusion in the hotspot list are

1.     COASTAL TRADE PLUSH CASH ECONOMY

2.     PROXIMITY  to Andhra networks

3.     High mobility corridors.

Moderate Incidence

·        South Odisha districts like Koraput, Rayagada etc. Cases were recorded due to naxal prevalence in earlier years and close to Andhra/Chhattisgarh network.

Big Relief: the kidnapping for ransom has not been reported from industrial corridors in the State.

The Takeaway

In Odisha, personal enmity continues to be a more pervasive trigger for violent crime than financial motives, even as few high-profile ransom cases shape public perception. The Rayagada incident highlights a crucial distinction: Not every abduction-linked murder is a kidnapping for ransom.