Bihar gold trader 'abduction' case, 3 held for questioning

Patna (Bihar), [India] November 5 Three persons have been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the case where a gold trader from Bihar's Arah district has been allegedly abducted, police said.
According to a complaint lodged with the police in the matter, the gold trader was on his way home from the market when he was abducted from the Town police station area of Bhojpur district.
The police identified the gold trader as Hariji Gupta from Mahajan Toli No.1 in the Town police station area.
The incident took place after 5 pm on Wednesday. His motorbike was recovered on Thursday morning from the spot from where he was abducted, police said. With no word on the businessman's whereabouts, his family members grew anxious and eventually lodged a complaint with the police. An FIR was filed at the Town police station on Thursday evening.
The gold trader owns three reputed jewellery stores in Arah district and two more in the state capital Patna. He is also a practising advocate. It is suspected that some tenants in the Baluahi market on Arah Bypass Road, where many small traders run shops and establishments, may be involved in the incident.
Panic set in as word of the suspected abduction got out. The police swung into action and launched a search for the missing trader. On the instructions of Bhojpur SP Sanjay Kumar Singh, Assistant Superintendent of Police Himanshu reached the scene of the kidnapping along with a probe team from the Town police station. The ASP met the kin of the missing gold trader, making all relevant enquiries in the case.
So far, three persons, including tenants, have been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the case, police said adding that they are also examining CCTV footage of the scene and are banking on mobile surveillance to track down the missing trader.
The Bhojpur police said they are also questioning 10 family members of the man, who is seen as the main accused in the case. His friend, Ritesh Kumar, has been arrested in connection with the case. An SUV has also been recovered near the Buxar police station.
Speaking to ANI, the SP said the gold trader had gone to collect rent and has been missing since then.
"An FIR was registered and a probe is already underway. Three persons have been taken into custody and are being questioned. Four teams, under the leadership of ASP Himanshu, have been put together to track down the missing gold trader. Raids are on in several areas. Technical support has also been sought. We are hopeful of rescuing the businessman soon," the SP said.
Meanwhile, Union minister and Arah MP Rajkumar Singh reached Mahajan Toli on Saturday and met the family members fo the abducted businessman. Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "The kidnapping of the reputed gold trader is a serious matter. The Bhojpur police are doing their job and have recovered his two-wheeler. They are hinting for the culprits and I am hopeful that the gold businessman will be rescued soon."
However, taking the attack to the Nitish Kumar government alleging declining law-and-order situation in the state, Singh said, "Ever since Nitish Kumar left the BJP alliance and joined hands with the RJD, there has been a noticeable increase in crime."
According to the complaint, the gold trader left home at 5 pm on Wednesday. After visiting the Pataleshwar temple to pay obeisance on Akshaya Navami, he drove off his two-wheeler for the Baluahi market. He went incommunicado ever since and couldn't even be reached on his mobile phone. Sensing something was wrong, his worried family members informed the police.
His kin grew more anxious about his fate after the recovery of his two-wheeler on Thursday morning. His son told ANI that they kept on ringing his phone all through the night but nobody answered.
According to police sources, the last location of his mobile phone is said to be Bihiyan. It is alleged that the gold trader had a dispute with a tenant, who lives in the Baluahi market area. There are fears that some of his relatives and acquaintances may also have had a hand in his abduction, the police said, adding that they are looking into the angles in the case.
Some fellow traders in the area reportedly met the SP, demanding that the kidnapped gold trader be rescued at the earliest.