Siliguri, Nov. 11: A 25-year-old agent of a private insurance company has gone missing since yesterday, raising suspicions of abduction.

Sandeep Agarwal, who originally hails from Kurseong but was staying on the third floor of Nava Jeevan Apartment on Udham Singh Sarani in Punjabipara here for the past three-four months with his wife Bina, did not return home after he left for office around 10.30am yesterday.

“He went out like any other day. Around 11.30am, Bina received an SMS from Sandeep’s cellphone, which said he had been abducted and that she should keep Rs 5 lakh ready as ransom. The senders of the message had also written that they would inform her in due course of time about the location where the ransom was to be paid,” Praveen Bhopali, Sandeep’s cousin, said today. “Bina immediately informed us and after consulting our relatives, I filed an FIR at the Siliguri police station at 2pm.”

Family sources said Sandeep used to work as an insurance agent of a private insurance company and used to visit Sikkim on occasions for his job. He had married Bina, the daughter of M.R. Agarwal, also a resident of Punjabipara, in February and has been staying in the rented flat.

“I saw him yesterday morning, walking out of the apartment, carrying a bag,” said Biju Oraon, the security guard at the apartment. “I had no clue to the incident till this morning when I saw his wife and some relatives leaving the building. Their flat is locked now.”

Sandeep’s father-in-law runs a departmental store in the area. “It is a sensitive issue. We are in a disturbed state and cannot speak much,” he told journalists.

Manish Agarwal, a brother-in-law of Sandeep who also stays in the same locality, said there was nothing unusual in Sandeep’s behaviour. “His disappearance, followed by the SMS, has left us stunned. We are now worried about his safety,” he added.

Police have started an investigation. “We are working on the basis of the complaint and carrying out inquiries to trace the abducted youth,” said Sitaram Sinha, the deputy superintendent of police of Siliguri.