Cops groping in dark

Three days after the mysterious kidnapping of Udai Narain Tripathi, a college principal, cops have not been able to pinpoint the person, from a long list, who could have possibly played a role in this game.Sources said, police reportedly has a list of several persons who were involved in financial transactions with the principal. Cops are pinning their hope on this list because they are sure that the cause of kidnapping was the money of which the principal was a centre.

Three days after the mysterious kidnapping of Udai Narain Tripathi, a college principal, cops have not been able to pinpoint the person, from a long list, who could have possibly played a role in this game.

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Sources said, police reportedly has a list of several persons who were involved in financial transactions with the principal. Cops are pinning their hope on this list because they are sure that the cause of kidnapping was the money of which the principal was a centre.

If sources are correct, the principal was involved in a racket of getting transfer and posting of teachers cleared in exchange of money which he allegedly took from such candidates.

This, he allegedly did in connivance with some DE office officials. For the time being police is focusing its attention on two persons Romeshwar Tripathi, resident of Soraon and one Pappu Fauji, Shiv Sena leader from Soraon.

Sources say, Romeshwar used to collect money from those who wished to get transferred to a place of their choice. Romeshwar had reportedly collected a sum of Rs 15 lakh recently and handed over the same to the principal. However, the work for which the money was collected from some persons had not been done.

The principal went missing on May 5 around 8 pm when he was about to leave the house of one Lali Chaudhary, accountant at the DE office. Lali had earlier told police that he had taken Rs 60, 000 on loan from the principal and that day he had returned Rs 35,000. But before the principal left the accountant's house there was a call on his mobile and he reportedly told the caller that he will be reaching within ten minutes. After this the principal disappeared mysteriously.

On the other hand Pappu Fauji who owns a shop in Soraon and is also well known to the family members of the principal is reported to have rushed to his house two days ago and told the anxious family members including the principal's wife that he had seen the principal on a scooter in the area the same day. Cops are now trying to establish the genuineness of Pappu's claim.

If he is telling a lie it means he too has a hand in the principal's disappearance and was making an attempt to divert police attention.

Meanwhile, some police teams have already left for other districts to talk to the persons who were connected to the principal. The teams might bring some such persons following interrogation if they feel something fishy in their statement.

A cop, on condition of anonymity, said as per information the principal had invested a sum of Rs 11 lakh in some building work being looked after a builder.

He had also recently purchased an Innova car, beyond the reach of a middle class family.