Girl home, cops sniff plot in kidnap

At an official briefing, though, IG (law and order) Chayan Mukherjee said Jhawar was traced around 11.30 pm last night near a garage in Kankurgachi-Phulbagan, about 15 minutes from her Salt Lake home in Cb-block. She was said to be in a ‘‘drowsy’’ state when traced by the police. No ransom was paid for her release, Mukherjee said.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a police wing of the state government probing the case, took Jhawar to their headquarters and interrogated her for about three hours this afternoon. She was accompanied by her family lawyer.

There are a few discrepancies between the versions of the IG and CID on the student’s return. While Mukherjee said Jhawar, third-year student of Home Science at JD Birla Institution, was rescued around 11.30 pm yesterday, DIG CID D.P. Tarania said the girl was rescued at 2 am today.

‘‘We were informed by police last night that Roma has been found, and after some questioning about her kidnappers, she was handed over to us at five this morning,’’ Ramesh, the girl’s brother told reporters.

No arrests have been made.

Tarania said Jhawar was in the garage and the police took her to a relative’s home in Kankurgachi at 4 am. She was interrogated along with her family members and four friends, he added. The police also brought in her personal computer to track e-mails she had sent to and received from friends.

Jhawar could not identify the hideout. ‘‘I am very very happy to be back home to my family, safe and secure,’’ Roma said.

‘‘We did not have much faith in the police. Our efforts were directed towards getting the girl back,’’ her lawyer, Partha Majumdar, said. ‘‘The identification of the abductors is the business of the police and they are investigating the matter.’’ Asked if Jhawar could identify the place where she was kept hostage, Majumdar said she was not aware of the city roads and therefore, could not pinpoint the location.