Within 45 minutes of the sensational kidnapping of a contractor from the busiest North Gate area of Agartala, city police managed to rescue the kidnapped contractor on Friday.

Soon after the sensational kidnapping of Khowai town based PWD contractor was reported, the family persons of the victim contractor sought the help of Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and he immediately instructed concerned officials to take concrete steps to rescue him. As per the instructions of the Chief Minister, police sprang into action.

While, giving details of the incident and rescue operation, SP (West) Kiran Kumar speaking with media persons at West Agartala police station on Friday evening said that when one contractor Shyamal Deb (49) after finishing his some official works at Gurkhabasti area was returning to his rented house at Nagerjala through a scooty.

When Shyamal Deb crossed the traffic point of North Gate square, a few miscreants with a red colour car stopped him and kidnapped Deb.

Later, the kidnappers went to the bordering areas of Fatikcherra-Kamalnagar area under Mohanpur subdivision.

Kumar said immediately police had activated all Naka points in and around the city and by using scientific technology, police managed to rescue the kidnapped man from Shalbagan area, at the outskirts of Agartala city.

SP(West) said police registered  the case and formed teams of police to arrest all kidnappers involved with the incident. At the preliminary stage of investigation, police got the names of all kidnappers and soon, the city police will arrest all miscreants.

He said that the kidnapping incident was held due to rivalry over the tender process of PWD and West Tripura district police are now seeking assistance of neighbouring district police to arrest all culprits.

Meanwhile, speaking with media persons, rescued contractor Shyamal Deb said that recently he got three contracts of PWD works of Khowai district as lowest bidder. Since, then negotiation mafias led by Pintu Roy of Khowai started harassing and threatening him to surrender all contracts, he got as per the process of PWD.

Deb said that 8 to 10 persons involved with negotiations in Khowai areas kidnapped him from the North Gate area and they rushed to Fatikcherra tea garden, where miscreants forcefully take his signatures in surrender forms of the bidding, which he got through official process. The kidnappers snatched his mobile phone and after signing in surrender papers, they returned back the mobile phone. Within minutes, he received a phone call from police and sensing the presence of a police team in adjoining areas, all kidnappers escaped from Fatikcherra tea garden.

Later, Deb after covering some walkable distance took an auto-rickshaw and arrived at Shalbagan area near BSF’s headquarters, and then a team of police arrived at the spot and brought him safety at Agartala.

Deb also said that due to miscreant activities of Mafias, no contractors are working properly in Khowai and appealed to the Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha to the menace of Mafia Raj.