Abducted Jharkhand government official released

Kerudari Block Circle Officer Nirmal Kumar Toppo, who was abducted by unidentified gunmen on October 27, returned home unharmed after he was set free on Thursday.

"He was set free after security forces cornered the kidnappers in a part of the forest. We will arrest them soon," said Superintendent of Police Pankaj Kamboj.

Asked about the identity of the abductors, Kamboj said, "Only after their arrest, will we be able to identify them."

Toppo told the media, in the presence of the sub-divisional officer and district development officer, that he was kept blindfolded and not fed for the 72 hours he spent in captivity.

Toppo, who was abducted while returning to Hazaribagh, said that the abductors had not ill-treated him or demanded ransom. He said the abductors, who spoke Bhojpuri, had told him that he had been abducted for 'police excesses'.

He was dropped near a river at Barkakana, approximately 40 km from Hazaribagh town, and took four hours to reach the main road on foot. He then took a lift from a motorcyclist to reach his home in the town at 2.30 pm.

His wife said she had received a telephone call from the abductors, but they had not demanded money.