Ex Jharkhand minister booked for abduction

RANCHI - Former minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Satyanand Bhokta has been booked for abducting two persons to help his wife in the local polls in Chatra district of Jharkhand, police said Thursday.

Zila Parishad (district panchayat) member Baleshwar Kushwaha’s son and son-in-law were abducted Wednesday night from Chatra district.

Baleshwar’s daughter-in-law Sangita Devi lodged a first information report (FIR) against Satyanand Bhokta in the Sadar police station Thursday.

According to police sources, the FIR alleged that Bhokta was pressurising Baleshwar to withdraw his nomination for the post of chairman of the zila parishad.

The election was scheduled for Thursday.

However, Bhokta has denied the allegations.

I believe in a democratic setup and such acts are conducted to tarnish my image, he told reporters in Chatra.

Operations have been launched to trace the kidnapped duo, police said.

–Indo-Asian Nerws Service