Patna: Police recovered the beheaded body of 48-year-old RJD leader Kailash Paswan, who was allegedly kidnapped from Nawada on July 6.

The mutilated body of Paswan, the district general secretary of the party, was found in the neighbouring Nalanda district, around 60km northeast of Patna, late Monday evening.

The station house officer of Nawada town police station Anjani Kumar said on Tuesday that the body of Paswan was found under a bridge over Paimar river under the jurisdiction of Khodaganj police station in Nalanda on Monday evening. The body was sent to the Biharsharif sadar hospital for postmortem.

Paswan's family ascertained the identity of the deceased with his clothes and other personal belongings. Paswan had left his house at Budhaul under the jurisdiction of Nawada town police station for panchayat-related work on July 6 but he didn't return home. The next day, the victim's son Sanjay Paswan lodged a kidnapping case with the Nawada town police station. The SHO said the police tried to trace the leader but in vain.

On Monday evening, the police received information about a beheaded body lying under a bridge in Nalanda. The relatives rushed to Biharsharif sadar hospital and ascertained the identity of the deceased. The head was severed from the body to hide the identity of the deceased, he added.

The family members apprehended the involvement of a certain Kiran Devi in the murder. They told the investigating officials that Kiran, who is running an NGO, had threatened Paswan with dire consequences over a land dispute.

"The allegations against Kiran and her associates are being verified," the SHO told The Telegraph.

He, however, revealed that the murder case would be transferred to the Nawada police for further investigation as the body had been recovered in Nalanda.

Nawada superintendent of police Hari Prasath S. said the reason behind the murder of Kailash was being ascertained. The family members told the police that Paswan had gone to take part in a meeting convened by the local panchayat but he didn't return home.

"We are probing the case from different angles," he said, adding that the role of Kiran, who claimed herself to be Paswan's second wife, is also being ascertained in the case.

An investigating officer said Paswan was last seen with Chhotu Gupta, a resident of Buchi village under the jurisdiction of Nardiganj police station in Nawada. The family had apprehended the involvement of Gupta in the kidnapping of Paswan. Chhotu, who had criminal antecedent, is evading arrest in the case, the police officer said.