Gadaria gang abducts contractor, 2 others

Labourers at the site told police that Gadaria, with his men, swooped down all of a sudden and after a brief ‘‘interaction’’ with the contractor, whisked him away at gunpoint. The contractor apparently showed no resistance.

Unofficial reports indicated that the gang had sought a ransom of Rs 1 crore. Senior police officials, however, refused to confirm the ransom demand. Gadaria had gunned down 13 villagers of Bhanwarpura in the same district last year.

A little over a week ago, he had abducted three farmers from Patkheda village, saying they had worked against his candidates during the panchayat elections.

The STF, which is searching the jungles, is yet to make headway in tracing the whereabouts of any of the victims. Senior police officers including STF chief N.K. Tripathi and Gwalior DIG Sanjay Mane are camping in the Shivpuri jungles for search operations.

Repeated strikes by the gang have assumed political colour, with the Opposition Congress planning to take up the issue during the Assembly session beginning tomorrow. Leader of the Opposition, Jamuna Devi, alleged that the Babulal Gaur government had failed to track down the dacoit gang, exposing the ‘‘incompetence of the law and order machinery in the state’’. Devi said the opposition would corner the government in the Assembly on the issue.

The Gadaria gang of about a dozen members, led by brothers Dayaram Babu and Rambabu, carries a cash reward of Rs 14 lakh. The gang operates in the Shivpuri-Gwalior-Sheopur forest region.

Meanwhile…

Another boy was abducted in Samastipur district of Bihar on Sunday. Gunmen looted cash and valuables and beat up 12-yr-old Harsh Ranjan’s family members, police said. He is the son of Vishnudeo Prasad Singh, brother of a retired school principal.