Panchayat secretaries Tejnarayan Rai and Shambhu Rai, allegedly abducted around a fortnight ago, were united with their families on Sunday after a ransom was paid.

The duo alleged police laxity in the case. Tejnarayan and Shambhu, the panchayat secretaries of Varishnagar and Pusa blocks respectively, reached their homes on Sunday morning.

Sources said Rs 30 lakh — Rs 15 lakh from each family — was paid to ensure their release.

Tejnarayan said: “Police could not rescue us and our families had to pay ransom money to save our lives. The abductors beat us up badly, but after the deal was struck, they did not harm us. We were kept on the first floor of a dark room near a roadside but it is difficult to ascertain the place or area.”

He added: “We were threatened with dire consequences if we divulged any information about them. We admit that our families paid the ransom money but we cannot disclose the amount. The pay-off saved our lives as the police failed to free us.”

Superintendent of police Varun Kumar Sinha, however, claimed the abductors released the government employees owing to police pressure. “We arrested four persons and detained over 16 people to obtain information and rescue the duo.”

Tejnarayan (48) and Shambhu (50) were abducted on the evening of June 22 from the Mangal Pethia area, while returning home from Samastipur town. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Ghataho police outpost, about 110km northeast of Patna.