The special investigation team (SIT) has got some vital leads in the kidnapping of Satyanarayan Prasad, the director-cum-principal of a public school in Muzaffarpur, after the arrest of Bipin Kumar — a close associate of notorious criminal Saroj Thakur.

Bipin was arrested on Thursday night from his hideout in Muzaffarpur. He is learnt to have divulged the sequence of incidents, following which the SIT conducted raids on the borders of Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga districts on Friday.

A source said an abandoned country boat was found on the banks of Budhi Gandak. It is believed to have been used for shifting Prasad, the kidnapped school director. The gang headed by Saroj used to keep the captive in country boats at night and used litchi orchards as hideouts.

Prasad was taken hostage when he was returning to his Gola Road home after collecting money from petty dealers late on Sunday night. His car was found near Jhapahan village on the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi road on Monday morning. Bloodstains, broken spectacles and slippers were also found in the car.

Bipin, the person arrested in connection with the kidnapping of Prasad, is a native of Aurai in Muzaffarpur, adjacent to the border of Darbhanga district. The SIT members are questioning him at a secluded place

Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police Jitendra Singh Rana said some suspects had been detained for interrogation. “Raids are being carried out at different hideouts of the abductors to rescue Prasad,” he said.

An investigating officer said the role of a Maoist activist of Gaighat-Aurai area, was also under the scanner of the SIT. He was closely associated with gang lords Saroj and Dipak Kumar Singh.

The role of some other criminals — Rajnath Sahni and Pawan Bhagat — are also under the scanner of the SIT, which has detained eight suspects for interrogation.

Inspector-general (Tirhut zone) Parasanth on Friday asked the SPs of Vaishali, East and West Champaran to provide some efficient officers to help the Muzaffarpur police rescue the kidnapped director of the school.

A group of local traders held a demonstration on the collectorate premises on Friday, demanding the arrest of Prasad’s kidnappers and his safe release. Later, a delegation met district magistrate Anupam Kumar, who asked the members of the business community to give sufficient time to the police.