Patna, June 16: The abduction of a trader in East Champaran district on Wednesday night has sent shockwaves through the business community there who fear that kidnapping gangs are operating at will again in the region.

Om Prakash (28) was kidnapped from Pachpakri market when he was returning home to Bhandar village, about 180km north of Patna, on a motorcycle with his nephew after closing his jewellery shop. The kidnappers fled towards Dhaka in an SUV after abducting him.

"We have been praying for his safe return. The kidnappers have not yet contacted the family for ransom, which is a matter of grave concern for us," said Om Prakash's father Brij Mohan Sah.

Om Prakash also owns a cloth shop in Pachpakri market. Both his shops remained shut on Thursday to protest the owner's abduction. Some other shopkeepers also downed shutters in solidarity.

Though Pachpakri, around 30km east of Motihari, the district headquarters town of East Champaran, has not witnessed any major incident of kidnapping in the recent past, the abduction of Om Prakash has sparked old fears.

"The fear of abduction has started haunting the people again," said a shop owner in Pachpakri market. "This is not a good sign; we apprehend more such cases in the days to come if the state government fails to contain crime soon."

A Motihari-based gang was involved in the kidnapping of Nepalese businessman Suresh Kedia last month. He was later rescued.

East Champaran superintendent of police (SP) Jitendra Rana said three suspects had been detained for interrogation in connection with Om Prakash's abduction. "Our men are on the job and we hope to solve the case at the earliest," the SP said, adding that the abductors have not demanded any ransom from the victim's family.

Rana added that the incident could be fallout of the recent panchayat polls. Both Om Prakash and his father were appointed election agents by a candidate in the recently concluded panchayat elections.

The SP denied that kidnapping gangs have started raising their heads again in the Champaran region. "It is not true that gangs have become active in border districts," he stressed.

The Champaran region, close to the Nepal border, had become a haven for kidnapper gangs in the '90s.

"There was a time when kidnapping had become a cottage industry in the Champaran region," said a retired DGP credited with flushing out several gangs active in the border region.