The delay in nabbing a criminal who tried to kidnap a schoolgirl from a busy road in Jhajha has sparked communal tension in the town.

The attempted kidnap took place around 3.30pm on Thursday when the Class IX student of a girls’ school in Khalashi Muhallah was going home to Barajore village, around 3km from the town. A youth, identified as Sonu Khan, 27, tried to abduct her at gunpoint.

Railway employee Matin Khan’s son Sonu has criminal antecedents and was recently released on bail after spending two-and-a-half years behind bars on a murder charge.

As Sonu was escaping with the girl in a van, some residents of Barajore recognised the victim and gave chase. The kidnapper managed to escape by firing at his pursuers, leaving behind his victim. The girl’s father is a farmer.

Following the incident, there was widespread protest on the streets of the town. A mob from the girl’s community made a bonfire of shops and vehicles parked on the road. Some of them even entered Jhajha police station demanding Sonu’s arrest.

The protests continued on Friday morning with agitators closing markets and schools in the town. District magistrate Sashikant Tiwary and superintendent of police (SP) Jitendra Rana conducted a meeting between the two communities to prevent the situation from escalating. They assured the residents that the accused would be arrested soon.