Five booked for kidnapping Gujarat-based businessman

Police in Patna on Thursday filed a chargesheet against five people in the abduction of a Gujarat-based businessman in Bihar last year in October.

All five accused named in the chargesheet, filed in the court of chief judicial magistrate in Saran district, are currently lodged in jail.

"We have filed 570-pages chargesheet under various sections...," said official RK Brahamchari.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in the state assembly on Tuesday, denied role of any political leader in the abduction case. He clarified that the investigation found involvement of no leader.

"Surat-based textiles businessman Sohel Hingora, 21, was abducted on Oct 29 last year from near his industrial unit at Dharampur village in Daman and was brought to Bihar, where he was kept in Saran and Patna districts by his captors,"police said.

Hanif Hingora, father of the abducted man, alleged that a Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader, some police officers and a gang from Bihar were involved in the crime.

Sohel Hingora was released on Nov 30 after a ransom of Rs 25 crore was reportedly paid.

Nitish Kumar also refuted charges made by Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Nand Kishore Yadav that the ransom was paid at the house of a Janata Dal-United leader.

Quoting the CID report, Nand Kishore Yadav had said that the ransom was paid at the JD-U leader's house located in a high security zone near the Chief Minister's official residence.

"The CID (Crime Investigation Department) investigation report has not mentioned the name or the role of any leader in the abduction," Nitish Kumar said.

He said the opposition leader "should come out with proof" that he quoted from the CID report. Soon after the case came into limelight, Nitish Kumar asked Director General of Police Abhayanand to probe the alleged role of the JD-U leader.

Police officials said investigations were still being carried out against several suspects in the case.