A Katihar-based homoeopath, Navin Chandra Ghosh, has been allegedly kidnapped from Malda in Bengal.

His wife Nandini Ghosh lodged a complaint with the Katihar Sahayak police station on Tuesday, apprehending that her 40-year-old husband, who had gone to Malda, around 100km from Katihar, with his two acquaintances, may have been kidnapped.

Nandini in her complaint said the alleged kidnappers have demanded Rs 5 lakh for the release of Ghosh. He had gone to Malda with Parmanand Pandey and Mithilesh Paswan. The alleged kidnappers asked Nandini to come to Samsi police station in Bengal with the ransom amount. "The kidnappers also threatened to kill him (Ghosh) if the ransom was not paid," Nandini told the police.

The station house officer (SHO) of Katihar Sahayak police station, Anupam Kumar, said the police have launched an investigation on the basis of information provided by the victim's wife. "We are in touch with our counterparts in Malda to recover the victim at the earliest," he told The Telegraph.

Ghosh stayed with his family in Teja Tola, while Pandey and Paswan are residents of Santoshi Colony and Mirchabadi in Katihar, respectively. "A police team is likely to visit Malda to trace the whereabouts of the victim," he added.

Sources said Pandey, an employee of the Indian Railways, had criminal antecedents. "The call for ransom was made to the family using the mobile phone of Mithilesh Paswan," an investigating officer said.

Katihar superintendent of police Siddharth Mohan Jain said Ghosh had told the family that he would return to Katihar by Tuesday evening. The family started a search when he didn't return. Late in the evening, the alleged kidnappers made the call for ransom.

BJP leader's body found

In Gopalganj, the Hathua police on Wednesday recovered the body of a BJP leader, Krishna Shahi, from Baswaria Majha village. Shahi had gone missing on Tuesday.

His younger brother Umesh Shahi told the police that Krishna had gone to Baswaria Majha village under Phulwaria police station on Tuesday to take part in an event. He was kidnapped between Phulwaria and Baswaria villages. His wife Shanta Shahi said Krishna had told the family that he would come to Patna to take part in the birthday celebration of his son on Wednesday. "His mobile phone was switched off," she told the police.

The deceased's family apprehended that Krishna, a former mukhiya, had been poisoned. His body was thrown into a deserted well from where it was recovered and sent for post-mortem.