Patna: Police have failed to make any breakthrough in the daylight kidnapping of a woman bank official from East Champaran district even after more than 24 hours of the brazen crime.

The Telegraph had reported in its edition on Thursday how the 25-year-old bank manager, Shikha Kumari, was forced into a white Scorpio with a "police" sticker on the busy National Highway 28 on Wednesday morning when she was on her way to the bank, and let go after two hours only after passers-by noticed the SUV fleeing from a toll plaza where security personnel were deployed.

The abductors had demanded Rs 10 lakh from the woman and threatened her with dire consequences if she did not pay up.

An officer associated with the investigation said a police team led by Pipra police station house officer (SHO) Santosh Kumar conducted raids to nab the culprits, although their identity has not been ascertained.

Shikha had told the police that there were three men in the vehicle.

SHO Kumar said that efforts were on to trace the SUV.

An investigating officer on Thursday visited the Pipra Kothi branch of the Central Bank of India and inquired about Shikha, who has been posted there as branch manager since February last year.

The officer also sought to know about the people who used to visit the bank for loan or other purposes.

Another police team also left for Bettiah in West Champaran where Shikha had earlier served.

Sources said that the police wanted to know about Shikha's relations with other employees.

"We are trying to ascertain the reason behind her transfer from Bettiah to Pipra," an investigating officer said.