Patna, Dec. 17: The Bihar and Gujarat policemen are at loggerheads over the recent release of the kidnapped son of a Surat-based businessman at Saran district.

Sohail Sohail (22), son of a prominent businessman Hanif Hingora, was abducted from Dharampur village in Daman on October 29. He was released after the victim’s family allegedly paid Rs 9 crore as ransom to the abductors.

Sohail was let off near a petrol pump on Hajipur-Chhapra road almost after a month of his kidnapping. He was confined to a house belonging to a policeman, who is at present posted in Jharkhand, after abduction. The cop’s son, Ranjit Kumar, was arrested and the victim’s visiting card and handcuffs were recovered during the search of the house.

After the safe release of Sohail on November 30, Hanif met Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and sought his intervention in the case. Surat police commissioner Rakesh Asthana confirmed that Hanif had met him a few days ago and sought help in apprehending the criminals involved in his son’s kidnapping.

Asthana said Hanif had submitted a petition giving vivid description of the incident and Sohail’s release after the payment of the ransom money. It claimed that a Bihar politician had played an important role in the payment of the ransom money to the abductors, who had strong political connections.

Asthana, who had earlier served in Bihar as a CBI officer and was associated with the fodder scam, however, said it would be professionally wrong to disclose the contents of the petition and share information about the investigation. Bihar police strongly contended that the Gujarat police had nothing to do with the investigation of the case.