Vehicle hired by kidnapped GAIL manager recovered

Police on Saturday recovered the SUV in which Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) manager Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and his driver Pahar Singh alias Jitendra had left his Mathura office before he was kidnapped last Monday. The SUV,a Mahindra Xylo,was found abandoned in Jalaun,about 500 km from Mathura.

The vehicle had been parked at an isolated place in Kotwali area of Jalaun district for the last three days. On Saturday,locals informed the police about the unclaimed vehicle. During a search,the police found a log-book which had several phone numbers. On contacting one of the telephone numbers,they came to know that the vehicle had been hired for the GAIL officer who had been missing since Monday. The police then informed their counterparts in Mathura..

“The car is parked on the compound of the police station. We would hand over the car to Mathura police whenever they come here. The number plate on the car is intact”,said Santosh Kumar Singh,inspector,Jalaun kotwali PS.

N R Padmaja,Mathura SSP,confirmed that it was the same vehicle which was hired for Bhatnagar,who had been missing since Monday.