?It?s a kidnapping for ransom, not enmity? | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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?It?s a kidnapping for ransom, not enmity?

None | ByBK Singh, Allahabad
Nov 13, 2006 12:37 AM IST

Neeraj Agrawal has been kidnapped for ransom and not due to any professional rivalry, feels his uncle Mahesh Agrawal. Rubbishing the police theory of rivalry in the contract business he said the family had no enmity with any person.

Neeraj Agrawal has been kidnapped for ransom and not due to any professional rivalry, feels his uncle Mahesh Agrawal. Rubbishing the police theory of rivalry in the contract business he said the family had no enmity with any person.

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HT Image

Though, the family is yet to receive any ransom demand but they are expecting the same in a day or two. Sources said, it is possible that the gang which kidnapped Neeraj last evening from near Bara in the district had come either from Chitrakoot or Banda district.

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After the kidnapping they headed in the same direction. On its part, cops have alerted the police of MP and some bordering districts and are keeping a close watch.

Having completed his engineering course Neeraj had joined the family business of road construction. His father Raj Kumar and two uncles are also in the same business. Together they manage Bansal Highway Construction Company which had recently taken a contract worth Rs 5 crores to construct a road between Jasra and Bara. About eight months ago they had also set up a hot mix plant at Padar village near Bara to facilitate the road building work. Neeraj used to visit Padar daily and spend time in his two-room office.

On Saturday he was returning home in his Maruti van along with driver Mohan Lal and two staff members Tarachand and Shekhar when his vehicle was overtaken by a white Marshal jeep near Jasra. Five armed persons got down from the vehicle and after pushing the driver Mohan Lal on the road sped away with their catch. But, Tarachand, a company staff, meanwhile realising the gravity of the situation jumped and ran for safety from the side door. While all this was happening Shekhar managed to hide himself in the rear portion of the van.

ncidentally, the van suffered a puncture near Lohgara and was abandoned. Shekhar who saved himself from being spotted by the dacoits managed to contact his employers on phone to narrate the incident. Meanwhile, the van driver had already told the family about the kidnapping and the police had also come in action. Though a large force carried out a search operation last night and were still engaged in locating Neeraj but there was no trace of him more than 24 hours after the incident.

'Ghurpur SO acted late'
Mahesh Agrawal is not satisfied with the action taken by  Station Officer Ghoorpur, Manoj Rai. According to Mahesh, SO Ghoorpur had come to know about the kidnapping within 20 minutes but he made no efforts to get the border sealed. Mahesh Agrawal does not also gives any weight to the possibility of one Kamlesh Pandey, a local man who had tried to throw his weight around for goonda tax. He had been admonished by Neeraj when this had happened.

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