patna

Updated: Dec 05, 2017 15:33 IST

Traders in Motihari staged a protest Monday against rising crime in Bihar’s East Champaran district after a local BJP leader disappeared on November 27 and the police dragged its feet for a week before registering an FIR.

Champaran Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Satpal Singh threatened to intensify protests if Amit Kumar is not found. Singh also claimed that unidentified gunmen had killed Motihari based Congress leader, Chhotu Jaiswal, barely a week back and the police were still groping in the dark.

Forty-four-year-old Amit Kumar who is also a businessman went missing during a visit to Bettaih from his home in Motihari. Bettiah is 190 km north of Patna. His friends and family suspect he has been kidnapped for ransom. The family has alleged that police did not take their complaint seriously and registered an FIR only on Monday after they persisted.

Amit’s abduction has also brought the spotlight on the return of crime in Bihar with opposition leaders, including Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, describing the situation under the present NDA government as “maha jungle raaj”.

In his FIR, the victim’s brother, Vinit Kumar said Amit had gone to Bettiah town for business related work on November 27 and called up his wife late evening to inform her he will not return home because of pending work.

“He told his wife that he would be putting up in a hotel and soon switched off his phone. Since then he is traceless,” Vinit said.

Read more: Two businessmen gunned down in Bihar’s Patna and Vaishali districts

Bettiah town police station SHO, Nityanand Chawdhary confirmed the abduction related FIR but pleaded ignorance about the motive behind the suspected kidnapping.

He said the kidnappers have not called the family members yet. “We have formed a team and are carrying out raids at various suspected hideouts of criminals across West and East Champaran to locate the businessman,” he said.

Police said they have procured call details and the last location of the BJP leader to help the probe. Amit is a district level leader of BJP’s East Champaran unit.

Family members now blame police for deliberately delaying the search operation, which could endanger Amit’s life.

State tourism minister and local BJP legislator, Pramod Kumar who condemned the incident, said that he has spoken to top police officials and instructed them to ensure Amit’s release at the earliest. He said police are very close to solving the case and hence they should be allowed to discharge their duties peacefully.

In the last one year, at least 13 businessmen have been killed in East Chamaparan alone. Across state, this is the fifth incident when criminals have targeted businessmen in the last two months. On November 22, unidentified assailants killed shoe trader Jatin Kumar Gandhi in the heart of Patna City, sparking angry protests in the capital.