Bablu Pandey

Dhanbad, July 5: Police today arrested the driver of one of the vehicles used to abduct a property dealer in Dhanbad, which has witnessed a spurt in crime against traders in the past few weeks.

In the latest incident, property dealer Bablu Pandey, who went missing on Friday, walked home escorted by police late last night. Pandey, a resident of Hirapur, told the police that he was abducted by his friend and namesake Bablu Mahto who lives in the same area. However, the police are yet to find out the motive.

According to police, Mahto turned up at Pandey’s house on Friday morning and asked him to accompany him to check out a plot in Patna. The duo left in Mahto’s Scorpio. But as the vehicle turned towards Tundi after reaching GT Road, Pandey asked Mahto why they were heading towards that direction. Mahto told him that one of his trucks had developed a technical snag and was stranded a little distance away. They would go and give money to the driver.

Trusting his friend, Pandey agreed to go ahead. But as soon as they reached Tundi, Mahto drugged him with a shot of injection. Thereafter, they headed towards Aurangabad in Bihar. But at Muffasil, the Scorpio developed a snag. Mahto called up a friend, Lala Babu, and asked him to reach the spot. Lala arrived with a Bolero and after bundling Pandey in it, they left for Patna.

On reaching Sankarpur, Pandey regained consciousness and raised an alarm. Hearing his cries, passers-by and other vehicles stopped. Fearing that they would be caught, the abductors fled after dropping off Pandey.

Local residents informed the police. The men in uniform immediately swung into action and tracked the Bolero. Driver Sunil Pandey was arrested. But the others, however, managed to flee. The Scorpio was later seized.

“Initially, we had thought that Pandey had faked the kidnap as he and the accused are good friends. But investigation revealed that he was indeed kidnapped. Interrogation of the driver is on,” said DSP (law & order) Sanjay Ranjan Singh. he added.

Recently, cloth merchant Bihari Lal Chaudhary was gunned down near his house on Temple Road. Soon after, a jewellery shop owner, Rajesh Chauthani, was kidnapped and killed.

In another incident, some men shot at arms seller K.P. Sharma outside his house at Matkuria Chowk.