Patna, July 5: The dismal law and order situation in the city has, for a change, brought a smile on some faces.

The “fortunate” ones are the students of private schools who will have an off-day tomorrow in protest against the abduction of a principal for ransom.

Police are still clueless about the abduction. Arvind Kumar Sinha, principal and owner of Sinha Model High School, was kidnapped from his house near Danapur on Saturday night. The kidnappers later demanded a ransom of Rs 2 crore from his family using the principal’s mobile phone.

Teachers in private schools today wore black badges in protest against the abduction. Raising the banner of protest, the Bihar Public Schools and Children’s Welfare Association has given the call for tomorrow’s closure.

Sinha, a local Yadav, is said to be an influential person with political connections. He is also understood to have an interest in government contracts. Despite pressure from senior RJD politicians, city police have not been able to trace him.

Running private schools has emerged as a profitable business in the city and across the state in the absence of other economic opportunities.

Well-connected politicians are believed to have an interest in the running of prominent private schools because of the profits involved.

“Our teachers announced today that the school will be closed tomorrow. Some principal has been kidnapped. I think kidnappings happen everyday in Patna. But this time we have got a holiday. It is good because I will get to stay at home. But it is also bad because my studies will suffer for a day,” said a Class VI student of Delhi Public School.

School students have often been kidnapped from the streets of Patna but the abduction of a principal or a teacher is rare.

Sinha’s abductors were at his residence for more than two hours and even asked for tea.

The family members, police sources said, could have identified the criminals but they seemed too scared to provide the details.