Burdwan/Purulia: A BJP panchayat samiti member of Purulia, who was allegedly abducted on Wednesday, was finally found inside the Army camp at Panagarh in Burdwan where he took shelter after managing to escape.

Later on Thursday afternoon, Soumen Mandal was released in the presence of his family members.

While Bengal BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu alleged it was the handiwork of miscreants close to Trinamool Congress, the ruling party’s leaders said none of its workers was involved.

According to sources, Mandal had set out to repair his bike on Wednesday. While returning, he found five men waiting by the roadside near Ramchandrapur. “They forced me into a car while one took my bike. Before I could realise anything, the car started for an unknown destination. We stayed in a hotel on Wednesday night,” Mandal said.

The abductors set out with him for Kolkata on Thursday morning. When they stopped near the Panagarh base to relieve themselves, Mandal managed to sneak out and run towards securitymen posted at the Army camp’s gate. The abductors then ran away.

“We lodged a missing complaint on Wednesday night at the Santuri police station. In the morning, we got a call from an unknown number and it was my son,” said mother Kabita Mandal.

BJP’s Asansol unit informed Union minister Babul Supriyo. “He (Babul) immediately took up the issue with the Union home ministry and they intervened,” said Lakshman Ghorai, BJP’s Asansol president.

“We have seen a similar operation where one of our panchayat samiti member at Para under Raghunathpur subdivision was abducted. Later, he joined TMC,” said BJP’s Purulia district president Vidyasagar Chakraborty

Minister and Trinamool district president Shantiram Mahato rubbished the allegation, claiming it was “theatrics of BJP workers”.

